Total Drama: Keres Island
by Lindsey Dylan
Summary: SYOC. Twenty-six teens will spend eight weeks at a crummy camp on a spooky abandoned island in the hopes of winning a million big ones. There, they will compete in extremely dangerous, deadly challenges. Every three days, at a beach bonfire, a contestant will be eliminated until one is left standing. Who will be it? (NO LONGER ACCEPTING OCS)
1. Send in Your OC!

**Hey, guys! Welcome to my first Total Drama SYOC fanfic!**

 **I've done SYOC stories before, so I know how they work. They only difference is that I've never written anything for Total Drama before, so this is all very new to me. I've watched the entire series (yes, even Pahkitew Island) ever since it first came out, when I was like nine (I think I was nine... or maybe I was seven) or something. Since I loved it so much, I thought I'd do an SYOC story for fun. I'm super excited to get started, and I hope you'll all enjoy it.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOTAL DRAMA OR ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY! THEY ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF FRESH TV AND TELETOONS! I only own the plot, my OC(s), Keres Island, etc. I DO NOT OWN THE OTHER OCS FEATURED IN THIS FANFIC; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Chris McLean walked down a dirt path in front of a few cabins. The overcast skies completely blocked out the sun, eerily washing over everything with darkness. As the cameras began to close-in on him, the TV host stopped and turned to face them directly.

"Last time on _Total Drama: Pahkitew Island_ , Sky and Shawn battled it out in a _super_ deadly challenge for the one million dollars." He stated. "We brought back _two_ eliminated contestants to help them out, and I _may_ have caused a _little_ drama to make things a little more _interesting._ Jasmine and Dave were both given a chance for have a little _sweet_ revenge. Jasmine and Shawn's relationship was history for, like, what? Ten minutes? Oh, and Sky got a beat down... _literally!_ Like, this _huge_ pile of snow just _toppled_ down on her."

The man burst out laughing to the verge of tears when the compilation of clips from the previous season showed specific events that he had mentioned.. He wiped away a single tear that had escaped and cleared his throat, sighing as he regained his composure.

"Anyways," he began, "Tears were shed, I had to deal with an earful of whining, and all sanity was lost... And that was all just Dave in _one episode_. I mean, dude went totally _bonkers_ when he found out that his crush Sky had a _boyfriend..._ _at home_! Ouch! Way to slim down a guy's chances, _Sky..._ and destroy the last of his sanity."

"Best part of the finale!" A tall, muscular black man grinned, showing off the gap in his teeth. He wore a kitchen apron and a toque. The cameras panned to focus on him when he gave his opinion. The other man frowned and walked into the shot.

"Totally." The first man agreed. "Now, get out of my shot!"

He pushed Chef out of the camera's view. The man sighed, but quickly put on his famous smile again.

"Anyways!" He said. "In the end, the zombie-conspiracy nut came out on top and won the jackpot. _Shocker,_ right? I lost a hundred bucks that day. Thanks a lot, _Shawn_."

The compilation ended.

"And _I_ got a hundred bucks added to _my_ paycheck!" Chef smirked as he poked his head into the man's shot. The man pushed his face away.

"No one cares!" The man snapped with a glare. He cleared his throat and smiled again. "We're coming to you live from Camp Galwaugh on the _spooky_ Keres Island. I'm your host, Chris McLean, and I'm here to give you the breakdown of this season of Total Drama."

~TD~

Chris walked down along a beach. Ocean waves lapped at the shore, leaving behind various shells, rocks, and some seaweed on the damp sand.

"Twenty-four teens have signed up to spend eight weeks at a crappy death-trap of summer camp on this island." Chris stated as he stopped by a cabana. "They'll be competing in dangerous challenges against each other in and face the judgement of their fellow competitors. Every three days one of the two teams will either win a reward or watch one of their team members take the Walk of Shame to the Daunting Dinghy and leave the game... forever."

Chris stepped aside to allow the cameras to get a better shot of the cabana and motioned toward it. He also motioned to a fire pit with several handcrafted wooden stools and Tiki torches surrounding it. "Their fate will be decided here, at the dramatic beach bonfire." Chris said. "Each week, all, but one, camper will receive a delicious s'more. In the end, only one will remain and will be rewarded with one... _million..._ _DOLLARS!"_

The cameras followed Chris as he walked away from the cabana and moved further down the beach. He sat down in a lawn chair, legs crossed and hands behind his head. "In order for them to survive, they'll have to withstand bedbugs, vicious wild animals, Chef's meals... and each other." Chris smirked. "And every moment will be caught on camera for the entire world to see. Who will crumble on the pressure? Find out here, on Total... _Drama..._ **_Keres Island_**!"

There was a flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder as rain began to pour down from the skies. Luckily, Chris had opened up a clear umbrella as strong gusts of wind rustled the leaves in the trees. As the cameras panned out, a thick fog had settled in, hiding the island from view.

* * *

 **There's the gist of it all! Since I need twenty-four OCs, that means I'm only accepting twelve girls and twelve boys. However, OC forms will have to be submitted via PM or posts in my forum (which there is a link for on my profile). Unfortunately, that means guests will not be able to submit any OCs unless they make an account. The last thing I want to do is run into trouble with the Eliminator again (ugh!). If you have any questions or concerns feel free to voice them on the Q &A section of my forum, through PM, or reviews. I'll be happy to answer in anyway possible.**

 **BY THE WAY! I won't be choosing OCs based on 'first come, first served'. Everything will be explained in the submission sections of my forum.**

 **Good luck!**

 _ **~L. Dylan~**_


	2. Opening Sequence

**Hey, guys!**

 **Thanks to everyone who submitted an OC and congrats to those whose OCs had been accepted be featured in Total Drama: Keres Island. I know it was hard because no one knew exactly what I was looking. Fortunately, that is now over and we can finally enjoy the story. This isn't exactly a chapter. It's just the opening sequence. I thought that some of you would probably like to see what the opening sequence for Keres Island would be like, so I did this you for. The actual first chapter for Keres Island should be posted pretty soon, so look out for any updates.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOTAL DRAMA OR ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY! THEY ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF FRESH TV AND TELETOONS! I only own the plot, my OC(s), Keres Island, etc. I DO NOT OWN THE OTHER OCS FEATURED IN THIS FANFIC; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Four spotlights and a few cameras appear out of nowhere all over Keres Island. Some pop out from inside of trees while others emerge from the water. One camera knocks down a bird's next, while another pushes a chipmunk, and its nuts, off the tree. The camera pans passed Chris, who is currently drinking coffee while yelling at his interns. Then-

 _"Dear Mom and Dad,"_

The camera pans over to Lauren, who is sitting on top of the steps in front of her cabin with a book on her lap while tapping her chin thoughtfully with her pen. Noticing the cameras closing in on her, Lauren's expression because annoyed as she reaches her hand out to cover the lens.

 _"I'm doing fine"_

The camera, then, cuts to McKayla is stuck in a tree while holding onto a tree branch, trying to get her missing left shoe, which is in a bird's nest. The tree branch breaks just as McKayla finally obtains her shoe. She begins to fall, only to be caught by Terrence, who grins smugly. McKayla smiles sheepishly, blushing when her shoe drops down from above and hits Terrence on the head.

 _"You guys are on my mind"_

From McKayla and Terrence, the cameras pan over to a clearing, where Colton is currently laying down in the grass as he gazes up at the clouds, seemingly lost in his own world. However, the moment is ruined when a bear suddenly appears, baring its razor-sharp teeth and claws at Colton.

 _"You asked me what I wanted to be"_

Deep in the woods, Jessica is meditating on a tree stump. Jessica opens her eyes and looks at the bracelets on her wrist. Suddenly, Colton runs pass her, looking extremely terrified. Jessica looks on with confusion, but becomes terrified as well when an angry bear suddenly shows up. The bear begins to chase her as well.

 _"Now, I think the answer is plain to be"_

The camera shifts to over to the over cabin, where Zara and Dean are seen sitting next to each other on the steps. Dean is strumming his guitar, pausing midway through his song when a pie suddenly springs out from the center and smashes right into his face. Zara's eyes widen as she covers her mouth, in attempt to control her laughter. Dean rolls his eyes lightly, smiling.

 _"I wanna be famous"_

The camera pans to the highest cliff on the island, where Esmeralda is about to jump off – warming herself up with some stretches. She turns to the cameras and gives a thumbs up, diving off with perfect form.

 _"I wanna live close to the sun"_

The camera, then, cuts over to the beach, where Skylar is lounging around on a chair while clearly sun-tanning. Noticing the cameras, Skylar gives a small wave and smiles brilliantly… Until, a giant tidal wave crashes down on her, leaving her completely soaked. The camera pans back over to Esmeralda, who had managed to swim back to shore. Esmeralda collapse, looking extremely exhausted, but manages to smile, once again, and give another thumbs up.

 _"So, pack your bags"_

Miranda and Chelsea are watching from the sidelines as Tristan stands center stage with a microphone in his hands, both unimpressed by his jokes. Exchanging looks, Miranda snaps her fingers as Chelsea promptly, yet slyly, pushes him off the stage.

 _"Cruz I've already won"_

Miranda snaps again, prompting William to rush up with a chair. As the chair is being set down, Miranda sits down with perfect timing as William, rolling his eyes in annoyance, begins to fan her with giant palm leaf. Chelsea looks directly at the camera with a smug look on her face.

 _"Everything I'm through"_

As that is happening, Colton and Jessica run though with the bear in pursuit of them. However, they manage to run into Natalie, who is watching Dylan do tricks with his skateboard. Natalie raises a brow as they both take cover behind her. She looks at the bear and smiles at it, instantly calming it as she begins to pet it. Colton and Jessica continue to look on, still shaking with fear.

 _"Nothing in my way"_

As Dylan is shredding on his skateboard, one of the wheels hit a rock and he is sent flying off his board. The camera cuts to Damien, who is watching from nearby, and he laughs.

 _"I'll get there one day"_

Inside, Camilla and Saraphina are in the bathroom, fixing themselves in front of the mirrors. As they are nearly done with their preparations, a green alien presses its face against the window and frightens both girls. They run outside and begin to chase after the alien, realizing that it's a mask, with angered looks on their faces.

 _"Cuz I wanna be…"_

Hazel is in the mess hall, sitting at one of the tables. A cup of coffee is in her hand while a pencil is in the other. She's practically shaking as she writes on pieces of paper while taking sips of coffee in between, accidentally getting some on her papers.

 _"Famous!"_

Xavier is fixing his hair in his mirror while some of the female interns begin swoon over him. Xavier looks away from his mirror with a smirk and winks, causing the interns to faint. He turns back to his mirror.

 _"Na, na, na, na, na,_

Watching Xavier hog the attention, Miranda rolls her eyes, clearly jealous, and folds her arms over her chest while puffing her cheeks indignantly. Suddenly, she smirks and Xavier is blasted away by a large gush of water. The cameras pan back to Miranda, who is holding a rather large hose.

 _"Na, na, na, na,"_

Spencer is laughing as he runs out of the mess hall with his arms full of junk food. Chef runs after him, holding a meat cleaver in a charred uniform while ink drips down his entire face.

As Chef chases Spencer, Jefferson leaps in on a moose, which is trying to buck him off. Jefferson keeps a tight hold on the moose, clearly having the time of his life as he waves his around

 _"Na, na, na, na, na,"_

Echo and Michael are relaxing in a shaded area on the beach as Jefferson comes bucking through on the moose. The moose finally manages to get Jeff off, sending him flying. Jefferson crashes into Echo and sends them both over the docks, landing right in the water below. Jefferson shoots up, pumping his fist in victory, followed by Echo, with her makeup running and cheeks puffed as they were currently filed up with water, which is spat in a steady stream onto Jeff's face.

 _"Na, na, na, na"_

McKayla, Adonis, and Josh are currently sitting on the sidelines near the cabins while watching Terrence shoot some hoops on his own. McKayla gets up to join, initiating a one-on-one. The camera closes in on Josh and Adonis. Josh is seen having a one-sided conversation with Adonis, who is pulling at his own hair in attempt to suppress his irritation and focus on Camilla and Terrence's match.

 _"I wanna be,"_

Completely dried, Skylar walks out of her cabin and down the stairs. However, she trips. William, having escaped from Miranda, is walking by, and manages to catch Skye before she falls in almost a dip. They gaze into each other's eyes with a blush and wide grins, both leaning in.

 _"I wanna be,"_

 _The moment, however, is ruined as Chelsea pulls William away by the ear. Skylar falls to ground, frowning, as Will is dragged back to Miranda, who is standing with Xavier, ignoring his advances, and promptly begins to order Will around again._

 _"I wanna be famous!"_

The camera shifts back to Hazel, who is holding up her papers in victory for having finished writing whatever and slams it back down door on the table like she had scored a touchdown.

 _"I wanna be,"_

Chef has finally caught to Spencer and holds the boy up by the back of his shirt. However, Spencer manages to reach into his pocket and pulls out a pen. Removing the cap with his teeth, he aims at Chef as ink begins to spray all over Chef's face. Chef drops Spencer, allowing him to get away. Chef chases him again.

 _"I wanna be,"_

The cameras pan deeper into the island, focusing on an old house. The scene is still, until a veiled figure pops up right in front of screen, slowly lifting the veil to reveal its mangled face.

 _"I wanna be FAMOUS!"_

Finally, the cameras settle on a clear shot of a beach bonfire at dusk. Dylan and Natalie, who is roasting a marshmallow on a stick, are sitting around it, staring off into the flames. Dylan glances over at Natalie and fakes a yawn, stretching his arms over his head. Natalie raises a brow at him in amusement and scoots closer to him as he slowly puts an arm around her. However, the moment is ruined when a person in an alien mask pops up in between them, spooking them both. The mask is removing, revealing the person to be Damien. Damien reaches down and holds up a bag of graham crackers and a chocolate bar. A s'more is assembled as the cameras zoom out, showing the rest of the contestants to also be sitting around the bonfire and whistling calmly. However, a big gust of wind puts out the fire, frightening the campers into a big huddle.

The cameras zoom out even further as mysterious fog eerily settles over the island, hiding it from the cameras' view.

* * *

 **Thanks so much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed the sequence. If you haven't done so, please favorite/follow my story so you'll receive alerts on when I update a new chapter. R &R!**

 _ **~L. Dylan~**_


	3. Just the 26 of Us - Part 1

**Welcome, guys, to the very first chapter of Total Drama: Keres Island!**

 **Yes, the time has finally come. I've been waiting to post this chapter and now I'm super excited to get this thing started. So, here we go!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOTAL DRAMA OR ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY! THEY ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF FRESH TV AND TELETOONS! I only own the plot, my OC, Keres Island, etc. I DO NOT OWN THE OTHER OCS FEATURED IN THIS FANFIC; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Welcome back, guys, to Total Drama: Keres Island." Chris stated as he stood on the docks. "I'm your host, Chris McLean, and it's time to meet our first thirteen contestants. If they seem a little… I don't know, _pissed off_ , it's _probably_ because we lied and told them that they'd be stayin at some five star resort and not some crappy camp... _Again_."

Chris snickered. Suddenly, Chris turned his head toward the ocean after hearing a foghorn. Squinting his eyes, he could make out a tiny boat, which was actually a yacht, sailing in the distance, despite the fog. He grinned. '

"Looks like they're here already," Chris glanced down at his watch, "and with perfect timing."

However, Chris had spoken too soon. As the yacht sailed closer, the waves grew unsteady. There was a flash lightning, followed by a clap of thunder. Suddenly, the entire yacht burst into flames. Chris looked away.

"Do we have insurance on that yacht?" He asked one of his interns, a short girl with short blonde curls and blue eyes. She shook her head. "No? Didn't think so."

Chris continued to watch as people jumped off the yacht. He chuckled, hearing their terrified screams. "They do _realize_ that there are _lifeboats_ , right? Oh! Speaking of life, do we have insurance on _them_?"

The girl shrugged.

"Oh well." Chris sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He went to speed-dial and quickly hit '1'. "Hey, man. It's Chris…. Yeah, we might have to end this season early, like right now… Yeah, their boat caught on fire… _Oh_! So, we do have insurance on the yacht! That's great, man…but, uh, what are we going to do about the kids?"

As Chris was talking on the phone, a sickly-pale girl with mocha-hair and hazel eyes washed up into shore. In her hands were pieces of paper that were completely soaked as she held them over her head. They fell limp and tore into half. The girl let out an alarmed yelp.

" _No!"_ She wailed dramatically, garnering Chris's attention.

"Never mind, dude, we got survivors." He said. Chris shut his cell.

" _Suvivors_?" A black-haired girl with a medium-brown skin-tone asked. Her brown eyes were wide as she gaped. "W-What's that supposed to be mean!?"

"You have _nothing_ to worry about, Camilla… _yet_." Chris smirked as he shoved her aside. Gradually, more teenagers began to drift onto the beach until all of them were present. "Alright, now we can start with the introductions. First up, we have _Hazel_."

The girl from before whimpered, rocking herself back and forth on the beach. "I worked so hard on that story!"

"You look like _crap_ , Haze." Chris laughed. However, his expression quickly became startled when Hazel reached out her hands and grabbed onto his pants. "You seriously need to relax."

"Do you _know_ how long I've been working on that?" Hazel growled. "Now, because of that _stupid_ yacht and the _stupid_ fire, it's all _ruined_! Everything, _gone_!"

"OK… I'm just going to move on to the next contestant." Chris said as he slowly moved away from Hazel's range. "Next up: Saraphina."

A girl with bright purple hair had perked up, having heard her name be called. Her brown eyes looked at the cameras and nodded coolly, muttering under her breath, "Hey."

"Chelsea."

A Caucasian girl groaned as she inspected one of her damp, chocolate-brown curls. "My hair is suffering from water-damaged, my clothes are _soaked_ , and my makeup is probably running." Chelsea huffed and puffed, as if trying to calm herself down. She turned to Chris, glaring. "By the way, you're paying my dry-cleaning bill."

"Did you guys hear anything?" Chris asked his interns. They exchanged glances. "OK, next we have _Terrence_. What's up, man?"

Chris bumped fists with a really buff, tall guy. The boy had skin that resembled smooth milk chocolate with dark brown hair and eyes.

Terence grinned. "Hey, man. I'd be pumped, if I wasn't so freaked by that fire. Was that part of the script or somethin'?"

"Nope, totally unplanned." Chris grinned. Terrence frowned and walked away. "Next up is Joshua."

A green-eyes boy with a brown faux Mohawk said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets,"Hey."

"Echo, and Michael."

A Goth girl stood next to Joshua. Echo huffed at her black hair, which had dark blue highlights. Standing next to her was a pale, black-haired boy with dark green eyes. He had a miserable expression on his face. Echo and Michael looked at each other with straight faces. They nodded at each other.

"Natalie."

A copper-haired girl panted, looking extremely exhausted. "Totally not as cool as I'd thought."

" _Spencer_."

A tanned teen with dark brown hair as he laid down on the sand. Spencer's chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. His dark brown eyes closed.

"Skylar."

A blond girl whimpered as she tried fixing her makeup. "I look like a clown."

Skylar's own green eyes studied her reflection as she looked at herself in her pink compact mirror. With a sigh of defeat, Skylar shut her compacts.

"And, Dean."

" _Crap_ , man." A pale boy with shaggy brown hair and teal-blue eyes cursed as he heard a swishing sound within his acoustic. Dean turned his guitar facing down and watched as seawater poured out of it. Dean groaned. "My guitar."

Chris chuckled. He turned to face the cameras. "When we return from the break, we'll be meeting the rest of the contestants... if they're _all_ here, that is." Chris stated. He chuckled, clearing his throat shortly after.

"What does that mean?" Camilla asked as her eyes widened.

"Until then, this is Total… Drama… Keres Island!"

 ** _~TD~_**

"Welcome back to Total Drama: Keres Island." Chris stated. "Before the break, we met the first half of this season's contestants. Now, let's get ready to meet the next half. First up: Dylan."

A boy with light blue eyes walked up next to Chris, huffing at his messy blonde hair as it stuck to his forehead. "Sup, dude."

"Hey, man" Chris replied as they bumped fists.

Dylan made a motion as if he was about to step on something. However, his eyes widened.

"Dude, where's my board?"

Dylan panicked as he ran off.

"… OK, up next we have Lauren and Colton."

A tanned girl with very light brown hair muttered sourly as she sat on the sat, "I did _not_ sign up for this." Then, a dark-haired boy with bright green eyes crawled up onto the beach before collapsing face-first on the sand. Lauren looked at Colton with a smirk. "Hey, I think Colton's dead."

Just then, Dylan pushed her over. Lauren glared as he began to dig in the spot she had been sitting in before he had come along. Lauren pushed the skater-boy away from her.

" _Yo_!" She snapped. "Do you mind?"

Dylan asked frantically, gripping her by the shoulders, " _Where's_ Sally?"

" _Who_?" Lauren raised an eyebrow as she, once again, shoved him away lightly.

She rolled her eyes as Dylan left her alone and scoffed, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand.

Chris snickered. "Hey, man, isn't that Sally all the way over there?"

He pointed at a skateboard that was currently floating in the middle of the water. Dylan perked up and looked in the direction that Chris was pointing in. His light blue eyes widened.

" _Sally_!" Dylan cried out in alarm as he swam back out. "I'm coming!"

Chris laughed hysterically as he watched Dylan paddle his way toward his skateboard. Wiping away a tear, Chris sighed and continued with the introductions.

"Moving on! Next we have Esmeralda, Adonis, and Tristan."

A girl wearing black high-waist shorts was currently squeezing water out of her soaked gray crop-top. Esmeralda looked at Chris with pure disdain in her emerald-green eyes, flicking water in his face. Next to her, Tristan snickered while Adonis dump water of his sneakers.

"Totally unnecessary, but whatever." Chris shrugged as he wiped away the water. "Up next: Damien, Jessica, Xavier, and Jeff."

Xavier ran his through his limp dark-brown hair as his light blue eyes scanned over his appearance in his mirror, sighing. "I don't suppose you have anything to help us dry off faster… do you?"

Chris shook his head.

Jeff sighed as his chocolate-brown eyes scanned over the sand, roaming about the beach. "Has anyone seen my hat?"

"Is this it?"

Jeff turned to a sun-kissed girl with long brown hair, streaked by blond strands. Jessica held out a white straw cowboy, her dark-green eyes gleaming. Jeff smiled.

Jeff replied as he took it from her. "Yes, ma'am, that most certainly would."

He brushed it off and placed it over his dark-brown, close-shaved hair.

Meanwhile, a dark-skinned boy was busy grumbling under his breath. Damien's electric blue eyes were settled in a menacing glare as he brushed off the sand that stuck to his damp clothes. He ran a hand through his messy black hair, with the tips dyed blood red, in frustration.

Chris had been counting all of the contestants, using his fingers to keep track. He finally pulled out a clipboard and scanned over the list.

"…OK, so we're missing three people…" Chris said. However, he smiled. "Oh well, it's cool."

Just then, a girl with black and lilac ombre hair trudged through the waters. She hugged herself as she shivered, her dark blue eyes wide. Finally reaching the beach, she walked up to Chris.

"G-Glad t-t-to s-see you're s-so c- _concerned_." Her teeth were chattering as she spoke.

"Hey, Zara, what's up?" Chris smirked.

Zara glared before storming off. "S-Stuff it."

Chris turned his interns and the camera crew. "Yeah, guys, we might need look-alikes to stand in for Miranda and William." He stated nonchalantly.

Right after Chris had said that, two other teens walked onto the beach. A girl with wavy, white-blonde hair stomped along the sand as few of the other contestants gasped, intimidated by her big, dark sunglasses. Behind the girl, a blonde-haired boy with light blue eyes was carrying tons of expensive designer suitcases. As the girl neared Chris, she removed her sunglasses. Mascara was running down her cheeks as she glared at Chris with her light blue eyes.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Where the _hell_ is our hotel?"

"You must be Miranda." Chris said

"Oh my God, you're, like, _so_ smart!" Miranda smiled 'sweetly', rolling her eyes right afterward.

Chris asked as he looked at William, "And you would be…?"

William opened his mouth to speak, but Miranda had beaten him to it. He sighed in defeat.

" _Don't_ mind him, he's not _important_." Miranda scoffed, looking pointedly at William. William frowned. "So… our hotel?"

Chris burst out laughing. The contestants exchanged glances with one another before looking extremely confused and somewhat rattled by Chris's behavior. Chris tried to regain his composure, but became hysterical after seeing the looks on their faces.

Saraphina asked as she folded her arms over her chest, "… What's so funny?"

Chris wiped away a stray tear from laughing so hard. Having finally calmed down, Chris took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"N-Nothing." He snickered, regaining his composure again. "Anyways, now that we're all here, I think that this would be a good time to stretch your legs. I hope you're all fast runners."

Chelsea scoffed. "Why?"

Just then, Chef appeared in a spider costume. The contestants burst out laughing. Instead of losing his temper, Chef smirked. Slowly, he pulled out a gun. He pulled the trigger and fired. Dean's shirt was suddenly splattered with pink paint.

Chris smirked, pointing over at Chef. "That would be why."

" _Ooh_ , it's a paint-ball gun." Damien said mockingly as he rolled his eyes. "I'm _so_ scared. Chef's going make us look like _Barbie's_ closet just _barfed_ on us."

He smirked as a few of the contestants laughed.

Chris said as his interns pushed a large, square object underneath a purple blanket, "I thought you might feel that way… which is why I added _this_ for a little motivation."

Growling could be head coming from underneath the blanket. Chris's interns shakily removed the blanket. The contestants gasped, jaws dropped and eyes wide. One of the interns, a boy with curly brown hair, held a stick. Silently gulping, the boy poked and prodded at the bear, looking very nervous. The bear roared loudly, swiping at the stick.

"Release the beast!" Chris yelled out.

The cage door was dropped as the interns ran off. The bear set its beady black eyes on the contestants and snarled, bearing its teeth. Finally, he took off after them. They screamed, though the girls were the loudest, as they began to run away.

 _ **~TD~**_

Camilla raised an eyebrow as she, McKayla, Natalie, Zara, and Terrence were the first to arrive at what appeared to be part of a summer camp. There were cabins on opposite sides with three speakers attacked at the very top of a pole in the center.

She commented as Spencer, Dylan, Xavier, and Chelsea arrived next, "This is a lot different than the application."

They were followed by Saraphina, Tristan, Jeff, Adonis, and Esmeralda.

"That was totally _awesome_!" Esmeralda cackled. "Like, the rush, man. It was so good!"

"Girl, you must be totally cray cray if you thought _that_ was fun." McKayla stated, looking at Esmeralda in amusement.

The next to arrive were Dean, Lauren, and Hazel with Joshua, Colton and Jessica behind them.

"Alright, where's the hot tub?" Spencer groaned as he rubbed his aching back. "I'm ready to relax."

"No kidding." Jeff agreed.

Damien glared at the cabins as he, Michael, and Echo strolled into the camp. Michael and Echo both raised an eyebrow as they watched the other contestants pant heavily in an attempt to stabilize their breathing.

"Hell no." Damien growled. "Where is that movie-star has-been?"

Skylar, Miranda, and William finally made it, though they weren't as sweaty as some of the other contestants were. They stopped in front of the cabins. Miranda looked at them in pure horror, gasping in shocked.

"You mean we're staying _here_?" Miranda's eyes widened. "At a-a _summer camp_?"

Chris grinned as he walked into the camp with his hands behind his back. "That's right."

"This wasn't in my contract!" Miranda looked at him dead in the eye. "I did _not_ sign up for this!"

"Actually, you did." Chris held up a piece of paper, pointing to the signature at the bottom.

Miranda scoffed. "Whatever! You _cannot_ make me stay _here_. Willie, let's go. _We're_ leaving this dump."

"I hope you know how to swim, because you're ride burst into flames not too long ago… remember?" Chris chuckled at Miranda's face. Miranda huffed and folded her eyes over her chest. "Welcome, _campers_ , to Camp Galwaugh. _This_ will be your home for the _next eight week_. The people around you will be your cabin-mates, your _competition_ , and, maybe even, your _friend_. Got it?"

The contestants looked around at each other. It was apparent, at that moment, to each contestant who their competition would be. Some of them tensed while others exchanged smiles and few exchanged glares.

"The person who stays on Keres Island the longest, _without_ getting voted off, will be the winner of the grand prize: One _million_ dollars."

"Are the cabins co-ed?" Spencer smirked. "I'd like to bunk underneath either one of these Betties."

Lauren scoffed as she looked at Spencer in disdain. "You're such a skeez."

Spencer winked at her. She scowled.

"Just like the other seasons, the chicks will get one side of the cabin and dudes get the other." Chris stated. "Other than myself, you'll be unsupervised."

" _Great_." Miranda rolled her eyes as she inspected her well-manicured nails. "So, can I, like, get my _own_ cabin?"

 _"Yeah…no."_ Chris told her. Miranda glared at him through the corners of her eyes. "Now, here's the deal. I'm going to split you into two teams. If I call your name, move to the right side of the campground. On team one are: Hazel… _Chelsea_ … Josh… Michael… Spencer… Xavier… Dean… Lauren… Colton… _Miranda_ … Adonis… Damien, and Jefferson."

One by one, the mentioned people separated from the other contestants and made their way to the other side of the camp. Once they were all gathered, Chris began to speak again. "From this point forward, you guys will be known as the _Lethal Lions_." Chris stated. However, they all looked rather unimpressed or just bored. "On team two: Saraphina… Terrence… Echo… McKayla… Skylar… Dylan… Camilla… Esmeralda… William… Tristan… Jessica, and Zara."

"Sara." Saraphina stated.

"What?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"I wrote on my app that I _hate_ being called by my entire first-name." She growled. "I like 'Sara'."

"Whatever." Chris shrugged. He opened his mouth to speak when Miranda finally said something. "I hereby christen team two the _Harmful Hyenas_."

"Wait!" Miranda exclaimed. "If I'm going to be one this team, then so does Willie."

"No switching!" Chris glared at her. "There's been too much switching on this show!"

Miranda scoffed. "Excuse me, but William is, like, a necessity to me. Me without Willie is like you without your interns. Who will bring you your lactose-free, nonfat, half-cafe latte with cocoa sprinkles and gluten-free muffin?"

Chris stroked his chin, narrowing his eyes in thought. "I see your point."

"You're not actually considering this, are you?" William asked as his eyes widened.

"Yep," Chris replied with a grin, "which is why I'm going to allow it. She makes a very good argument."

"She has no argument!" William exclaimed. "She's just-"

Miranda glared. "Just _what_ , Willie?" William froze, gulping silently. Miranda folded her arms over her chest. "That's what I thought. Anyways! The other team can have Colton."

"Alrighty then, time to make the switch."

"Wait- Don't I get a say in this?" Colton asked.

Miranda scoffed. "Um, _no_ , why _should_ you?"

William groaned silently as he and Colton walked passed each other. Colton stood with the Hyenas while William stood next to Miranda, look absolutely miserable. Miranda smirked at him.

"OK, guys!" Chris grinned. "The Hyenas' cabin is on the left and the Lions are on the right. Due to the fact that some of the cabins can only hold up to a certain number of people, members from the other team may have to bunk with you. You are not expected to treat them with any kind of hospitality. Personally, I don't care… So, go get settled in."

They began to grumble and mutter things under their breath as they all picked up their bags. As they started picking up their bags, Chris suddenly stopped them. "Wait- I forgot." He stated. "As you all may know, our audiences loves to hear the contestants vent and confess their innermost thoughts to our confession cam. Like in the previous seasons of Total Drama, you guys will be using-"

"No!" Lauren's eyes widened.

"Yes!" Chris said. "The _outhouse_!"

Lauren groaned, as did the other contestants.

"Jerk!" Lauren muttered loudly as she and the others finally picked up their stuff.

They all turned and began to walk toward the cabin.

 _ **~TD~**_

"Stupid Miranda, stupid Chris, stupid team-switch." William grumbled under his breath as he stomped into the boys' side of the Lions' cabin.

Dean raised an eyebrow as he strummed his guitar while sitting on one of the bottom bunks. "You need to chill, man. You look like you're ready to pop a vessel."

"You need to mind your own business." William snapped.

Dean blinked.

"So you switched teams, big deal." Dean shrugged. "It'll be cool, dude. Just relax."

"It's a pretty big deal." William sighed. "You've never met Miranda."

"She's hot, dude."

Dean and William turned their heads as Spencer walked inside the cabin with Mikey, Josh, and Tristan. They set down their stuff and began to pick out their bunks. Spencer and Mikey called the top bunks while Josh and Jeff took the bottom.

"You know, this is actually pretty decent for a summer camp." Spencer commented.

"This place is a dump." Xavier commented as he entered the cabin.

Spencer rolled his eyes.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #1**

 **WILLIAM: *sighs* So, I _might_ have overreacted back there, but can you blame me? If you had a sibling like Miranda, you'd be the same way too! *glaring* It's always 'Willie, do this' or 'Willie, do that'! No 'please' or 'thank you'. The worst part about it: *groans* My parents think she's some sort of _angel_! I came on Total Drama to kind of break away from Miranda… *slumps forward* I'm kind of starting to regret my decision though. How do you stand up to a person that you're deathly afraid of? Especially if that person's your twin-and she's younger than me! *groans miserably as he buries his face in his hands***

 _ **~TD~**_

 **DEAN: Will honestly needs to relax. If this is how he's going to be all the time, then it's going to be hard for him to stay in the game. If people don't like you, they're not going to want to keep you around. I'm judging the guy, but I'm just saying.**

* * *

Zara and Skylar could feel the tension in the girls' side of the Lions' cabin as they walked inside with their suitcases. It was so quiet. Hazel sat on one of the bottom bunks, writing in a notebook. Chelsea was painting her nails. Miranda stood at one side of the room, glaring at Lauren. Meanwhile, Lauren was standing on the other side, directing her own glare right back at her.

"I don't care if you'll have nowhere to sleep, I'm not putting my suitcases on the floor." Miranda hand her hands on her hips as she glared at Lauren, who had her arms folded over her chest.

Lauren sharply jabbed a finger into Miranda's chest. "I wasn't _asking_ , I was _telling_ you to do it."

"And I'm _telling_ you ' _no'_. Now, do yourself a favor and find someplace else to crash." Miranda turned to her suitcases.

Lauren growled, clenching her jaw."You spoiled little bi-"

" _OK_ , guys!"

Zara quickly intervened as Skylar took cover.

She jumped in between them, picking up a strong confrontational vibe. "Why don't we all just chill for a bit? We'll all be spending the next few weeks together; we should all just try to get along."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Fine." Miranda said.

She stuck her nose up at the two girls and moved her suitcases somewhere else. Lauren plopped down on the bottom bunk.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #2**

 **LAUREN: *sits with her arms folded over her chest* It hasn't even been a _day_ and I'm _already_ sick of Miranda. That has to be a new record for me or something. Usually, it takes me, like, two days to decide if I hate a person or not. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that prissy little princesses and me…well, we don't mix. One thing's for sure though: I'm not going to put up with her crap. *shrugs nonchalanty* If she crosses the line, I'm going to punch her.**

 ** _~TD~_**

 **ZARA: I know Miranda can be a bit…*thoughtfully taps her finger on her chin* _whatever_ , but we really should try to at least stand each other somewhat. I mean, we'll be spending a _long_ time together… Some more than others. Besides, Lauren and Miranda are on the same team. They really should try to make an effort to get along. I mean, 'divided we fall, united we stand', right?**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **MIRANDA: *rolls her eyes* The show is called ' _Total Drama_ ' for a reason. When will people finally realize that? A million dollars is at the stake, and I don't plan on leaving the competition any time soon. Friends aren't important, but allies are. The only person I can see myself getting along with is Chelsea, so maybe I'll consider forming an alliance with her. *folds her arms over her chest while crossing her legs* I've seen this show many times before, I know what I'm doing. *smirks* _Winning_ will be a breeze.**

* * *

Adonis let out a deep breath as soon as he, Dylan, Colton, Terrence, Jeff, and Damien walked into their side of the cabin. He fanned the air, as if that sole action would get rid of the smell.

Dylan grinned as he plopped down onto one of the bottom bunks backward, sighing. " _Awesome_ stench, dude. Whoever that is, keeping doing what you're doing man."

"Yo, totally _rank,_ man." Terrence winced as he set down his stuff. Terrence made a face in disgust as he kept breathing in the foul stench. Quickly, he pinched his nose. "I can actually taste it."

"It's smellier than the stables at the rodeos back home." Jeff agreed.

Dylan stated as Adonis began checking the bed sheets of the other bunks, "That, dudes, is the smell of victory."

Colton asked as he hid his nose in his shirt, "Why does victory smell like rotten meat and spoiled milk?"

" _Dude_ , this is disgusting." Adonis stated. "I can't breathe this air anymore. Split up and search the cabin. I actually want to live to see tomorrow."

"I'm actually cool with this." Damien shrugged as took the top bunk above Dylan. "Juvie's worse."

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #3**

 **DAMIEN: *shrugs* What can I say? Juvie stinks… _Literally._**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **DYLAN: Some people tend to overreact about a little stink. I mean, I could, like, not shower for two weeks and people wouldn't even notice. I'd like to thank the Stink Cycle for that, actually. They should be embracing the stink. It's the scent of _awesomeness_ and… stuff.**

* * *

Jessica opened the door to the girls' side of the Hyenas' cabin. She covered her nose as she was hit with foulest stench. She groaned, gagging.

Jessica's voice sounded stuffy and nasally as she whined. "Gross! What is that smell?"

McKayla, Camilla, Esmeralda, and Saraphina walked inside with their bags. They dropped their bags on the floor and took a whiff of the air. Just like Jessica, they covered their noses as Skylar and Natalie strolled inside.

"Why does it smell so bad in here?" Saraphina asked as Esmeralda made a disgusted 'ugh' noise.

Skylar squeaked as she practically barfed. "Ew!"

Natalie agreed, eyes watering. "I know right, it's like something died."

"And I thought my gym locker smelt bad." McKayla commented as they began searching the entire cabin for the source of the terrible odor. "This place is seriously rank. I mean, you look ready to cry."

"I wonder if Owen's farts were this bad in the other seasons." Camilla said, her voice sounding congested due to her pinching her nose as she thoroughly searched the drawers before checking her luggage.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #4**

 **MCKAYLA: *shrugs* The girls in my cabin are pretty chill. I mean, we ain't tight, *smiles* but I think we'll get there. *frowns* At least I ain't bunkin' with those prissy rich girls in the Lions' cabin. I pray for ones that do.**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **CAMILLA: *looking in disbelief* I swear, I couldn't even _believe_ how badly our side of cabin smelt! I can't even describe it. *points to herself* My _socks_ after basketball practice don't even _smell_ like that! Natalie started _crying_ because of how bad it was! I mean, I was going to cry too. You'd think that a guy like Chris could afford to get Febreze going around here. *sighs* I really hope our side isn't the only side that totally reeks.**

* * *

"Will William gain the confidence to stand up to Miranda?" Chris asked as he stood on the beach. "Will Lauren rip Miranda's head off her shoulders by the next episode? Most likely. Will I get the Hyenas some Febreze for their cabin? Probably not. More importantly: What challenge will await our contestants tomorrow? Find out next time on Total… _Drama_ … _KERES ISLAND_!"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading guys! I apologize if I made your OCs seem OOC. I haven't been on Fanfiction for a while because I took a break, so I'm kind of rusty. If you have an issue, just send me a PM and I'll get right on with making revisions so that everything's completely accurate.**

 **Tell me what you thought about the chapter! I'd really like to know. If you have any criticism, feel free to do so... Just don't post any flames. R &R!**

 _ **~L. Dylan~**_


	4. Just the 26 of Us - Part 2

**Thanks guys for the all reviews you posted for the last chapter! They really meant a lot to me and I'm so happy that you all enjoyed it! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter even more.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOTAL DRAMA OR ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY! THEY ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF FRESH TV AND TELETOONS! I only own the plot, my OC, Keres Island, etc. I DO NOT OWN THE OTHER OCS FEATURED IN THIS FANFIC; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama: Keres Island, twenty-six teens signed up to spend eight weeks at five star resort in hopes of winning one million dollars." Chris grinned at the cameras. "However, what they didn't realize was that they actually signed up to spend eight weeks at a crappy old summer camp. Now, they'll have to face the judgement of their fellow campers. What challenge lies ahead for our contestants, and who will be the first to take to Walk of Shame? Find out here, on Total… _Drama_ … _KERES **ISLAND**_!"

* * *

 _ **( Cue Opening Sequence**)_

* * *

Miranda stepped out of the cabin, wearing her dark sunglasses and a towel slung over her shoulder. She looked around the camp grounds. Folding her arms over her chest, she sighed in frustration.

She huffed at her side bangs. "Where the hell is the stupid spa?"

"There is no spa around here." Chris stated as he walked into the center of the camp.

Miranda peered over the frames of her shades. "What do you mean there's no spa?"

Lauren walked out. Lauren sat down on the steps, looking absolutely miserable.

Chris raised an eyebrow. "You do realize this isn't a luxury resort, right?"

"Well, duh!" Miranda stated. "If it wasn't, my pillow would be filled with goose feathers. Not those crappy feathers you get at craft stores. If there's no spa, then _where_ I am supposed to _shower_?"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "It's a summer camp, genius."

Miranda's eyes widened. "So I have to shower with _her_?" Chris nodded. She growled silently under her breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Then I hope you enjoy smelling like the Hyenas' cabins for the next _eight_ weeks." He snickered.

Lauren laughed.

Miranda glared. "I _hate_ this! What's next? I have to share my _clothes_ with her, _too_?"

Lauren scoffed. "As if I'd want to wear one of your outfits. My head might swell up with the excess hot air that couldn't fit into yours."

Just then, a loud scream pierced their ears. The door to the boys' side of the cabin opened. Miranda and Lauren walked back inside the cabin with a few of the guys. Zara was knelt on the floor, looking underneath one of the bunk beds. Meanwhile, Chelsea was standing on the bunk opposite from Zara.

Lauren sighed. "That's my bed."

Miranda smirked.

Chelsea screamed. "Ew! Get it out of here!"

Zara growled. "I'm _trying_!"

Just then, a tiny furry creature scurried out from underneath the bunk. Miranda screamed, as did Chelsea. Hurriedly, Miranda climbed onto the same bunk as Chelsea. Lauren huffed.

"Quick, kill it or something!" Chelsea cried, pointing at the tiny mouse as it ran across the floor.

"Willie, do something!" Miranda barked at her twin. William sighed and walked into the room with Dean. They moved around the room along with Zara, following the mouse wherever it scurried off to. "Hurry up!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" He snapped. Miranda glared at him. "I-I mean. I'll try."

"What the _hell_ are you _doing_?"

They turned to the door. Echo leaned against the door frame with her arms folded over her chest. She had an eyebrow raised, blowing a bubble with her gum. Her violet eyes landed on the mouse at the center of the room. Echo sighed as she pushed herself off the frame.

She rolled her eyes. "You guys are _pathetic_."

Echo knelt down and picked the mouse up gently.

"Ew!" Chelsea shrieked. "She's touching it with her hands!"

Echo set the mouse down on the porch. After watching it scurry off into the woods, Echo turned back to the others. They stared at her, jaws practically dropping down to the floor.

"Done." She rolled her eyes. "Now, do everyone else a favor and _shut_ up."

Echo looked at them pointedly. She turned around and left the cabin with a sigh.

"That was pretty cool."

Echo blinked as she turned around. Michael stood by the door, leaning against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Echo replied with a raised eyebrow. "… I guess."

She turned and walked down the steps, smiling inwardly.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #5**

 **ECHO: *with her arms over her chest* It was just a harmless mouse, and those dimwits actually wanted to kill it. *rolls her eyes* I swear, I'm surrounded by idiots. I think the only ones I can actually stand so far are Lauren and Hazel… *blushes as she begins to play with her hair shyly* and maybe Michael.**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **CHELSEA: *shudders* That was so gross! I mean, that creepy Goth girl just _picked_ up that smelly, disease-ridden rodent with her _hands_! Rats are meant to be killed, that's why we have pesticide and mouse-traps.**

* * *

The main lodge was packed as the contestants lined up by the counter. Metal trays were in their hands as they waited on line for their food. Chef gave them all death stares, daring them to say anything about the food. Colton, Terrence, Jessica, and Natalie couldn't help but recoil at Chef, as they were the first in health.

Jessica asked as Chef dropped a bowl of, what appeared to be, mashed potatoes, sludgy pudding and mystery meat on a bun, "Are you sure this is… _sanitary?"_ It looked a little grayish and had unidentifiable black bits in it. She let out a nervous chuckle. "Never mind."

She immediately sighed as she walked away. Colton gave Chef a nervous smile as Chef eyeballed him. Chef placed a bowl of the same thing that he had given Jessica. As Colton was about to walk away, Chef called out to him.

Chef glared. "Hey, scrawny, come back here."

"Y-Yes?" Colton gulped, forcing another smile. He walked about to the counter. Chef added another scoop of mashed potatoes and mystery meat to his tray. "Oh… O-OK."

Colton walked away, still tensed.

Colton asked nervously as he sat down next to Jessica, "Is it just me or is he a bit more… _frightening_ then the previous seasons?"

Jessica smiled weakly, poking at her twitching bowl of mashed potatoes. Jessica stared at her bowl and sighed.

"Seriously gross." Camilla winced as she sat down with them.

Jessica agreed. "I know."

Xavier leaned against the counter as he was next in line. He looked at Chef with his blue eyes and sent him a charming smile as he picked up his tray of disgusting slop. Chef stopped what he was doing to stare at the handsome boy.

Xavier leaned toward Chef. "You know, you must have worked _really_ hard to prepare all this food."

Chef asked, looking all flustered, "Oh, I don't know… I just… For real?"

Xavier nodded. He grinned, chuckling sheepishly.

 _"Really,_ it's a shame that people don't _appreciate_ your skill." Xavier sighed as he slowly turned his back, smirking.

Just as he began to walk off, heard something.

"Wait!"

Xavier turned back around.

Chef said as he took Xavier's tray and walked back into the kitchen, "Let me get you something else."

Xavier looked back Miranda as she sat their team table, grinning devilishly. Miranda silently gasped as she looked at Xavier in shock, her eyes wide and jaw dropped. Then, he winked. Miranda clenched her jaw, growling silently as she sent him a glare.

Chef returned with a tray of much more delicious-looking meals. A delicious-looking lobster with a side of garlic-butter sauce, plain buttered pasta, and steamed vegetables.

" _You_ are a _great_ chef!" Xavier smiled again. "It's really hard to _believe_ that Chris doesn't seem to appreciate someone as _talented_ as you."

Xavier walked away with a smirk as Chef continued to grin like an idiot.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #6**

 **CHEF: *shrugs* Boy's good-looking. What can I say? *giggles like a school-girl* And those eyes, man.**

* * *

Chef snapped out of his trance as Tristan walked up to the counter, looking down his tray with an unimpressed expression. Chef sneered at him. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"If _this_ is what happens when you actually work hard to cook something up, I'd hate to taste your food when you _don't_ try." Tristan picked up the tray and left for his team table.

Chef snapped, looking as if he was ready to just jump over the counter and pummel the guy. "Come again, funny guy?"

"Why would I want to come again?" Tristan said. "I think you'd be better off working at Dave & Busters because you both have so much in common. Food sucks and the service is terrible. You'd be employee of the month if you worked there."

Chef glared as he pulled out a meat cleaver and began to sharpen it as Tristan walked away. Skylar walked up next, looking at the food

Skylar said as stared down at the sludge on her tray, "So, like, I was told to stay away from carbs."

Chef growled. She winced as mystery meat splatted down on her tray, some of it landing right on her face. She wiped it away with her hands.

He glared. "If I serve it, you eat it."

Skylar laughed nervously " _OK_ , yeah… _Totally_ cool."

She took off. Damien and Spencer snickered.

Lauren scoffed. "Dude seriously needs to take a pill."

"No kidding." Will muttered.

"… He can't, like, actually hurt us… Right?" Chelsea glanced around nervously. "I mean, Chef looked ready to kill that spiky-haired loser."

" _Yeah_ , but Chef can't do anything." Dean shrugged, grinning coolly. "My parents had their lawyers look over the contract for fine prints and misconducts. The only time the show doesn't take responsibility over injuries if it happens during a challenge."

Lauren smirked as she looked at Chef thoughtfully. "So we get hurt, and it doesn't happen during a challenge...?"

Dean nodded. "You can totally sue. Implied consent."

" _Nice_." Spencer patted Dean on the back.

Michael asked, looking at the mystery meat on his tray, "Does anyone want this?" The entire table fell silent as they exchanged glances. Finally, they actually burst out into laughter… except for Michael. "I wasn't joking. I don't exactly do the whole meat thing."

William said as he took Michael's 'burger' from his tray, "Sure, dude."

As everyone was eating, albeit with much difficulty, Chris walked in. He smiled as if he was taking pleasure in their misery, and he really was.

He smirked. "Welcome to the main lodge… _Campers_."

Miranda scoffed. " _We_ are not _campers_ ; _this_ is _not_ a _real_ summer camp. This probably just another cliché set of yours like in season two."

"My sets are _not_ cheesy." Chris glared at her. "Your first challenge begins in an hour, so finish eating."

He walked out, grumbling under his breath. Jessica turned to her teammates.

Jessica forced a smiled. "… So, uh, what do you think he'll make us do?"

"Relax, it's out first challenge." Skylar waved it off. "How har-?"

A few gasps shot around the table. Just then, her mouth was covered by Dylan and Terrence's hands. Zara, McKayla, Camilla and Natalie just stared at her with wide eyes, while Saraphina and Jessica gaped. Tristan shook his head. Skylar shook their hands off and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She asked.

Camilla hissed, "Any team who predicts good luck _always_ loses."

McKayla added, "You _almost_ jinxed us."

Just then, there was a scream. The Hyenas looked over to the Lions' table, where Lauren was passed out and lying on the floor. Then, Zara fell forward onto the Hyena's table, completely limp. One by one, all the contestants fell unconscious.

Colton asked in complete alarm as Spencer fell into his tray of food. "W-What's happening?"

Finally, Colton fell over backwards as darkness consumed him.

 ** _~TD~_**

Groans escaped the lips of the contestants as they all woke up in fancy room. They all got up, shivering at the temperature change. The room was lit by a giant, dusty chandelier dangling above them.

William groaned as he rubbed at his forehead, trying to ease the headache. "This is worse than the day after that huge party the team had when we won the national championships."

"Where are we?" Saraphina asked.

"Forget that." McKayla scoffed. "Where the hell is that Hollywood idiot? This is probably just _one_ of his _stupid_ ideas of a prank."

Hazel groaned as she searched around the room for the notebook she had prior to passing out, whining. "My book! Has anyone seen it?"

Jeff said as he reached underneath himself, feeling something poking him, "Here it is."

He pulled out a red spiral book and slid it across the floorboards to her. Silently, Hazel cheered as she grabbed the pencil that was behind her ear and flipped the book open to one of its many pages. Then, suddenly, everyone was startled by a loud _'beep'_ and nearly jumped out of their skins. They looked around and noticed a white box in the left corner.

 _"Welcome, campers, to your first challenge!"_ They immediately groaned when they heard Chris's voice. _"This island is named 'Keres' for a reason. In ancient Greek mythology, the Keres were female death-spirits who had a thirst for human blood."_

Esmeralda asked, "What does _that_ have to do with _this_?"

 _"For starters, the majority of this island,"_ Chris paused for dramatic effect, _"is haunted… but not crazy, demonic, blood-thirsty women. The ghosts of men, normal women, children, animals, and even kids your age have all been reported to roam about. In fact, we believe that's the main reason why this island is pretty much abandoned."_

Damien raised an eyebrow. "Again, what does that have to do with us?"

 _"OK, so get this."_ Chris chuckled. _"That room you're all in is actually the foyer in the Château du Hervieux, the site of many tragic deaths. Just recently, it was been just confirmed that there were sightings of **approximately** twenty spirits located inside specific rooms of the house."_

Echo and Michael breathed at the same time, _"Wicked."_

" _Your first challenge is to remain in the château until there is, at least, one member from your team left inside."_ Chris stated. _"If you get too scared, you are free to leave at any moment. However, the moment you step out those double-doors, you are immediately out of the challenge."_

"… So what rooms are haunted?" Adonis asked.

 _"I'm just going to give you a quick run-down."_ Chris stated. _"On this floor, you'll see two doors. One in front of you and one at the top of the stairs. The one in front of you leads to the parlor, which is totally ghost-free. There is a door in the parlor that leads to the anteroom, which also leads to the huge wardrobe room. The door above you leads to the second floor, where all the scares begin. On the second floor are the rooms of the last generation of Hervieux family-members before the island was abandoned, and it's been confirmed that their spirits still haunt those rooms. The third floor is freakier. The fourth floor is the freakiest, there are a lot of ghosts up there. Below the house is cellar and there is huge backyard outside that is haunted by the family dog. You're allowed to go in the backyard, you just can't leave through the front door or else you might cost your team the win."_

McKayla's eyes widened. "You're just going to leave us?"

 _"Nope."_ Chris replied. _"Unfortunately, the producers were concerned when I chose to host the show on this island. I had to promise that I'd keep a close eye on you guys and remain constantly alert when I involved the paranormal in my challenges, which will be for the majority of the show. Compared to Boney Island, Keres Island makes Boney Island look like a walk in the park on a sunny day. That's it for now, campers, I'll check in with you guys later. Your challenge begins… Now."_

There was loud 'beep' and the PA system turned off.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #7**

 **JOSHUA: *shuddering* I'm kind of scared of ghosts. It's not a major fear, but who wouldn't be freaked out by something you can't see? Being in that house… Yeah, I did not enjoy that. I really wanted to leave, but *sighs* then I would probably end up being the first to go home… so… yeah.**

 ** _~TD~_**

 **JESSICA: *sighs* I kind of regret signing up for this show. I mean, ghosts? I'm not so sure if I can handle that. Who knows if they're even good ghosts? I don't know! But I have stay positive so I can win this for Christa… I just need something to keep my mind off of this.**

* * *

The contestants were all merged into one huge group in the foyer. A few sat on the floor while some just stood and others walked about. Everyone had been given flashlights that McKayla found stored in a box. Miranda sat on a chair with Chelsea. William stood next to her, looking somewhat annoyed as he listened to Joshua talk about football and his favorite football team. She turned to William and hit him in the stomach to garner his attention.

"Go get me a latte." Miranda told him.

"From where?" He looked around. "I can't leave. We'll lose the challenge and I have no idea where the hell we are anyways."

"I don't know." Miranda stated. "Go find the kitchen. There should be a coffee machine in there."

"In case you forgot, this place is _haunted_." William hissed.

Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm totally not buying the whole 'haunted' thing." Miranda inspected her nails. "Chris is probably just going to scare us with a bunch of _lame_ special-effects to make us _think_ that the place is haunted, so… go get me a latte. _Now_. Wait- On second thought, I change my mind. I need you and I can't have you killed by some ghost. I mean, who else is going to carry my bags for me after I go shopping?"

William sighed in relief.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"This is so _boring_." Esmeralda whined as she sat with Saraphina by the door to the parlor. There was a muffled 'thump' on the wall behind them as Esmeralda leaned her head back against it. "I need something to do."

Saraphina deadpanned, "Thing is there's nothing to do… unless you want to explore the château."

"I've done crazy stuff before in my life, but I'm not going near any ghost." Esmeralda replied. "I do not want to get possessed by some freaky evil demon shit. No thank you."

Saraphina raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure they are two different things."

Esmeralda shrugged.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #8**

 **SARAPHINA: That worst case scenario is that I could have been _alone_ in that house. That's probably what would have made it creepier. Leaving the foyer is next, but who would _actually_ want to do that? Well, Echo and Mikey would. Still, I don't know about the others, but I like the sound of 'one-hundred percent _ghost-free_ '.**

 **~TD~**

 **ESMERALDA: Being in that house totally killed me. I was beyond bored and no way in hell was I planning to leave the foyer. To be honest, I don't think any of us were. I mean, we're in an actual haunted house. It doesn't get any freakier than that.**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **COLTON: *sighs* There's a good possibility that I might be one of the few to leave first. I'm a nice guy and I'd like to think that I'm very positive. I know that when you're in a place with spirits, you must stay calm and positive. Me? I'm kind of finding that hard to do. I'm not the person who messes around with Ouija boards for fun, so I'm very uncomfortable to be in a place like this.  
**

* * *

A crystal chandelier hung from the parlor ceiling as bookshelves lined the bottom half of the center wall, stocked to maximum capacity with books. Next to it was a display case filled with fine china. Five old, dusty portraits were lined against the walls, hanging over the cream-colored walls. On either side of the middle painting of an old man, mostly like the founder of the house, were silver 3-branch candelabras with used-up candle-sticks.

Natalie sat on one of the armchairs by the bookshelf while Zara, Lauren, Dean, Spencer, and Dylan sat at one of the tables. Spencer was currently dealing out cards among the five of them.

Dylan asked, "Hey, Natalie, want to join?"

"Sure." Natalie smiled as she got from her seat to sit with them.

Just then, Damien walked into the parlor with McKayla and Terrence. Damien plopped down onto the chair that Natalie had previously sat in, groaning loudly as McKayla and Terrence sat down at one of the other tables in the room.

Dean peered up over his cards. "How long do you think it'll be before people start leaving?"

"See?" Damien replied. "There's the problem. If no one gets scared soon, we're going to be here for a while. Personally, I don't mind being here, but it's going to get old after a while."

"True." Lauren shrugged thoughtfully. "The foyer and the parlor are the only places that aren't haunted. Obviously, everyone is going to stay in either one of two places. I'd totally go check this place out, but I'm not going to do it alone. It's like going to a horror movie by yourself: _Lame."_

Zara suggested with a smirk. "…Or we _could_ have a séance and summon _one_ of the spirits down here?"

"Girl, you're talking voodoo." Terrence shook his head. "The moment you talk voodoo is the moment I leave. I don't want to even think about them ghosts."

Zara rolled her eyes lightly, laughing. "Relax, Terrence, I was just joking." She sighed. "But, fine. No séances, I promise."

"Let's start the game." Spencer stated.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Echo was sitting on the stairs, looking absolutely bored as she rested her cheeks on her hands while Michael walked over and sat down on the lower step opposite of hers. Immediately, she shifted, crossing her legs and folding her arms over her chest. She huffed at her bangs as they fell over her left eye, feeling her face heat up all of a sudden.

Michael said, "Hey."

"…Hey." Echo replied.

She watched as Adonis sat with William, Jeff, and Joshua. By the look of things, Joshua seemed to be severely irritating the three guys as they visibly bit their tongues.

Skylar asked nervously, "…So, uh, how do we know if one of these ghosty-things are here with us?"

Mostly everyone in the foyer shrugged.

Echo rolled her eyes. "Stop being paranoid, there is no spirit here. Chris said so himself."

Skylar let out a shaky sigh and nodded as she began to pace around the foyer. Echo stood up from her spot and began making her way up the stairs, garnering everyone's attention.

Chelsea asked loudly, "What are you doing?"

Everyone directed their attention to her. Damien and the others had walked out of the parlor look at Echo. She stood in front of the door at the top of the stairs, hand on knob. Echo sighed.

She folded her arms over her chest. "We're in a haunted house. What do you think I'm doing?"

"I'll go too."

Michael stood up to Echo at the top of the staircase. Echo raised an eyebrow at him.

Echo shrugged. "Whatever."

She opened the door to the second door.

Everyone watched in suspense as she and Michael walked through the doorway. It was silent as they were then out of view. Five minutes had passed before a blood-curdling scream pierced the silence. It was so loud that it made everyone jump as few others screamed as well, causing Joshua to leave first as Colton followed shortly afterward.

Echo walked back out into the foyer, laughing hysterically as Michael followed her with a smirk. Everyone sighed in relief.

"You guys are too easy."

"True, but you didn't have to freak us out like that." Adonis glared at her. "I'm pretty sure most of us thought that something actually happened to you."

"Look, I just everyone a favor." Echo placed her hands on her hips. "I just started the challenge. Two people are gone"

Michael added, "No one would be leaving if she hadn't done that."

"That's actually true." Xavier nodded in agreement. "She did lessen our time here."

Adonis scoffed as everyone began to walk away. "Whatever."

" _Yeah_ , guys, I can't do this." Skylar twirled her hair nervously. "I was literally going to have a heart attack just then. I think I might actually die if I can into contact with an actual ghost, so I'm out of here."

Jessica nodded in agreement. Both girls turned around. They walked down the red runner and left the château through the double-doors. Jeff sighed and turned to his teammates.

"I'm leavin', too." He said. "As much I'd want to win, evil spirits or no evil spirits, I'm done. I'll make it up to y'all durin' another challenge, but I ain't stayin' in this hell-house another second."

Jeff left the château shortly afterward too.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I swear, people are so _weak_. Like, newsflash, people: This place _isn't_ actually _haunted_!"

"You don't know that for sure." Chelsea looked at Miranda pointedly, before a thoughtful look appeared on her face. "Though it is a remote possibility, considering the scientific evidence."

Miranda gestured to Chelsea. "See?"

Echo rolled her eyes. "Believe what you want, but I'm still going to check this place out."

Everyone turned away as she and Michael walked back through the door to explore the château.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Chris yawned as he sat in the large tent that was pitched up a bit further from the location of the Château de Hervieux. He looked at the multiple screens in front of him in complete and utter boredom. The only ones who actually left the foyer to go check out the other rooms in the château were Echo and Michael. However, he wasn't surprised by that. If anything, he laughed a little at the little scare Echo gave the other contestants with her prank.

Chris groaned. "I'm so bored; They _aren't_ even doing _anything_." He glared at the screens, sighing. "Alright, time to take things up a notch."

~ ** _TD_** ~

Dylan rocked back and forth as his teeth chattered. His eyes were wide in shock. Spencer had walked by when he noticed the skater sitting in the corner of the parlor.

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "You OK, man?"

"I need my board, dude." Dylan clawed desperately at Spencer's jeans, clenching the fabric in his hands. "My board is my sanity, man! This is the longest that Sally and I have been apart. I came out of the womb with her, dude! What if someone's totally shredding right now? And they're using _her_!?"

Spencer rolled his eyes as he slapped the skater upside the head. Dylan glared, rubbing the back of his head. The others laughed.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Why guys always have to refer to cars or whatever as 'she' or 'her'?"

"Because cars are just as hot as girls, except they don't nag you about something all the time." Spencer replied.

McKayla, Zara, and Lauren all glared.

Camilla stated, "That is _so_ not true. We only _nag_ at you because guys _hardly_ do _anything_ , except roll over."

Lauren, Lauren, Natalie, and McKayla burst out laughing as they all exchanged high-fives with each other and Camilla. Camilla smirked. However, the room filled with shocked gasps as all sparks started flying when lights suddenly blew out.

Spencer smirked. "My arms are open if any of you ladies need some comfort and protection."

Lauren, despite the darkness, punched him in the gut. "Sexist pig."

The others snickered.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Chelsea asked, "What the hell just happened?"

Her eyes were wide in shock. Esmeralda and Saraphina were completely stiff.

"OK, that is not good." Saraphina commented.

Esmeralda nodded in agreement. They were frozen in their spots. Their ears perked up as they heard loud, yet muffled thumping. It grew even louder and louder as it got closer to the foyer.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Relax, it's probably just either Chris or Echo." She spotted a camera and looked up toward it, speaking directly to it, "Nice try, but it won't work. We _know_ this isn't real."

Adonis hushed them. "I don't think that's either one of them. Echo's too light-footed."

Xavier looked up from his mirror at the top of stairs, just as a dark, shadowy figure appeared. The contestants in the foyer looked up at the figure in shock, silent gasps escaping their lips. They practically jumped in their spots as the figure looked down at them.

Esmeralda panicked. "That is definitely not Echo."

The figure began walking down the steps. Adonis, Saraphina, Tristan, and Esmeralda had quickly left to join the others in the parlor, followed by William and Chelsea.

Miranda scoffed as she was left in the foyer with Xavier and Hazel, " _Losers_."

~ ** _TD_** ~

Damien and Spencer had lit all the candles in the room with their lights. William and a few of the others had quickly walked into the parlor.

Damien asked as he put his lighter back in his pocket, "What's up, guys?"

Saraphina hissed as Esmeralda and William began to blow out all the candles, "There is someone else in here, and they are outside."

Just then, Miranda and Xavier quietly entered the room.

Miranda whispered. "OK, you were right. That was not Echo."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Really? What gave it away? The musky odor or the meatiness."

Miranda rolled her eyes as Lauren ran over to the doors. As quietly as she could, Lauren grabbed both door handles and closed the door.

She hissed as they all began moving toward the back door on the on the right side of the room, "To the anteroom."

"Hey!"

They jumped when they heard someone yell out. They ran back to the door. McKayla quietly opened it a bit. Her eyes widened.

She exclaimed quietly as possible in disbelief, "We _left_ Hazel!"

Everyone piled by the door to catch a glimpse.

~ ** _TD_** ~

A dark shadow loomed over Hazel as she continued writing in her notebook, a cup of coffee sitting right next to her. She gritted her teeth as her jaw clenched, trying to write as best as she could despite the lack of lighting.

She growled. "Not now, kinda busy here."

However, just then, a hand reached down and grabbed her notebook away from her. Hazel kept moving her pencil over thin air before she realize what had happened. Slowly, she stopped writing as her eyes widened. She looked up at a person wearing all-black attire, including a black hoodie that kept the person's face hidden.

She laughed lightly as if she was in some sort of mental shock. "Y-You have my book."

The person cocked its head.

Hazel roared angrily, "You _have_ my _book_! _No one_ touches my _book_!"

The person jumped, startled by her sudden outburst. Fire practically burned in her eyes as she sent a death glare at the shadowy figure. In the blink of an eye, Hazel lunged out of her spot. The person raised their arm in defense as Hazel tackled them down to the floor, her notebook falling out of their hand.

"Yes!" Hazel cheered as she crawled over to her book. She held her book up in victory just as she was suddenly picked off of the floor by the shadowy figure. She squirmed in their grasp. "Hey!"

Her eyes widened as she was suddenly being carried off.

 ** _~TD~_**

McKayla closed the parlor doors as soon as she heard Hazel's scream. However, she kept her ear pressed against it. She pressed a finger to her plump lips to signal the others to remain silent. They nodded.

The screamed died. She could hear footsteps on the other side. As they moved closer toward the door, McKayla and the others tensed. Their eyes widened as the knob twisted. Lauren motioned toward the back door and they rushed over. They opened the door and walked into a fancy, thin hallway decorated by two chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and three antique vases on stands that equidistantly lined against the back wall.

"This is, like, beyond freaky." Natalie kept breathing heavily, looking as though she was about to cry at any given moment. She sat next to Dylan, who comfortingly patted her on the back. "I can't believe that I haven't ran out yet."

Terrence agreed. "Yeah, man, why would Chris put us through something like this for our first challenge?"

"Dude's sick, haven't you seen the other seasons?" McKayla replied.

"Yeah, he looks _really_ ancient, doesn't he?" Miranda commented. She stared at her reflection in her compact mirror as she powdered her face and fixed her bangs. "Like, he may say that he's thirty-something, but all those stress wrinkles and gray hairs say something entirely different."

Damien raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"What?" Miranda scoffed. She rolled her eyes. "We're on international TV! You guys may not care about how you appear, but there's no way in hell I'm going to let anyone see me looking like crap."

"Right, because you _totally_ didn't look like crap before." Tristan replied.

Miranda snapped her compact shut as she placed her hands on her hips, glaring directly at him.

"Excuse me?" Miranda raise an eyebrow.

"You're pretty, you're rich." Tristan stated. "I thought rich people never make fashion blunders."

"You're one to talk." Miranda scoffed. "The nineties called, and they want their bedhead back. They said you weren't pulling it off. "

"Speaking of calls, that reminds me: Jeff called, and he says they have a spot available in the rodeo back down in the Lone Star State." Tristan smirked. "He wants to know if you're available. They're going to be tying you up with some rope while someone chases you down on a horse because all the other calves got sick. It's cool though. It's not like anyone will be able to tell the difference since you're related and all."

Lauren burst out laughing hysterically as did the others. Miranda growled lowly.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #9**

 **TRISTAN: *smirks while resting his hands behind his head* What can I say? Girl made it too easy. *chuckles* Still, best performance of my life. Seriously! She comes here, acting like a huge hotshot and she's dressed as some farm-girl. I didn't know any better, I would have thought that there was going to be a spin-off of _The Waltons_ and she was one of the people auditioning for the main role.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **MIRANDA: *inspects her nails* So… yeah… I've just been called a cow on live TV. Am I upset? *scoffs while she fixes her hair* No! Why would I? I've been called things way worse than a stupid, ugly, smelly animal that weighs, like, what? A ton? *glares* Now here is my problem: *clears her throat* I am a red beryl, the world's rarest gemstone mineral… which is even rarer than a diamond, whereas Tristan is… a _quartz_ , so common with many varieties. Someone so low at the bottom of the social status told _me_ off. That cannot and should not ever happen. I don't care if the Greg Giraldo wannabe _isn't_ part of my team, he's out of this competition. And I will, _personally,_ make sure of that.**

 **~TD~**

 **LAUREN: *laughing hysterically as she wipes away her own tears, clutching her stomach from laughing too hard. Lauren takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. She is straight-faced for barely a second before she bursts out laughing again***

* * *

Echo and Michael walked down the hallway together in silence. They looked around, taking in all the beauty and eeriness of the Château. Echo sighed heavily.

Michael asked, "Are you OK?" He smirked. "Don't tell me you're scared."

Echo shrugged as she huffed at her hair. "Normally, I would be since it's dark and I have no idea where the hell I am... but this place is pretty cool, so it's OK."

"To be honest, I would have thought that you'd be freaked out." He smirked.

She stopped walking and turned to face him. As he was about to continue without her, Echo stuck her arm out in front of him. Michael looked at her.

Echo raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms over her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Most girls would have screamed their head off if they came near a ghost."

"So because I'm a girl that means I'm supposed to be scared by everything and jumping into your arms?" Echo said. Michael remained silent. "Whatever. That's cool, I'll do just that. I'll play the ' _damsel in distress_ ' if it's help your ego."

He sighed. "That's not what I meant."

Echo rolled her eyes and sighed as they continued to walk again. However, the loud sound of footsteps caught her attention.

She whispered. "Wait- Do you hear that?"

They stopped walking to listen. Silently, Michael nodded. They could hear the sound of the footsteps make their way up the stairs.

Quickly, Michael opened one of the doors and grabbed Echo by the waist, pulling her in as he slowly and quietly closed the door. He turned the lock while keeping his back pressed against the door. Meanwhile, Echo's skin became a beautiful combination of milk and roses as heat radiated from her cheeks. Michael's hands were still on her waist.

Michael whispered back. "Someone else is here." He turned to her, removing his hands. "I thought it was just us and the others?"

Echo replied, "Yeah, but they're all downstairs. It can't be one of them, though. They're all too scared to even think about coming up here."

Michael chuckled lowly as they moved away from the door. He looked around the room they were in. The room was actually quite feminine, the walls lined by fancy pink wallpaper. Once again, a chandelier hung from the ceiling and a large canopy bed was position across from the door. A vanity was placed against the wall opposite of the bed.

"Think this is the daughter's room?"

Echo said with a hint of disdain, "It's so… _pink_."

Michael snickered as they began to poke around the room.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Everyone sat on the floor on the anteroom. They stared up at Zara, who was currently pacing around the room. Dylan had her flashlight shining down on her so she could see where she was going. However, all her pacing did was cause some people to feel anxious. Terrence sighed.

"I don't know about you, but I'm out of here." Terrence stated. "I can't handle all this creepy stuff all at once. Anyone coming?"

Adonis sighed. "I'd hate to admit it, but I'm with Terrence."

Tristan and William stood up.

Tristan shrugged. "Yeah, I don't do the horror scene and stuff."

He walked out of the room with Adonis and Terrence. William was about to walk out too when someone grabbed him by the wrist.

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Where do you think you're going? You're staying so that we'll win the challenge."

William replied, "…I'm getting you your latte."

Immediately, she let go.

"Why didn't you say so?" Miranda chirped. "Now, go hurry up! I could use something to drink."

William nodded and quickly walked out, silently cheering.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #10**

 **WILLIAM: _Yeah_ … *rolls his eyes* I'm totally not getting her a latte.**

 **~TD~**

 **MIRANDA: *rolls her eyes* Of course he's not getting me a latte. Will is about as brave as Scooby-Doo without a Scooby Snax. *suddenly becomes suspiciously cheery* It's cool thought, he'll make it up to me later.**

* * *

"Look, it's a diary!" Echo blew the dust off an old brown leather book. However, her grin faded as she began to shiver uncontrollably. She groaned as her head began to pound. She put down the diary. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't have touched that."

Her body regained its composure. Echo let out a sigh. Michael walked over to her.

"Are you OK? What happened?"

Echo shook her head. "I think this is probably one of those rooms Chris mentioned." Echo stepped away from the book. "That diary must have been very personal… then again, all diaries are. However, whoever is haunting this room definitely didn't want me to read or touch it."

Michael looked at her. "Should we communicate?"

"Why not?" Echo shrugged as she and Michael sat on the floor. They joined hands. "We have to stay calm, no matter what happens. Spirits feed off of our energy. Positive energy attracts good spirits, negative energy attracts the bad ones."

"I know." Michael smirked. "I've done my research."

Echo smiled inwardly. She sighed and regained her composure, her smile fading away. She watched as Michael did the same. They kept inhaling and exhaling until they both felt extremely calm.

"Let's begin…but, we should probably start with a prayer-just in case."

Michael nodded. "Reasonable enough."

Echo cleared her throat before reciting the Lord's Prayer.

"Alright." Echo sighed shakily. "Let's star-"

Just then, there was loud banging on the door. Echo let out a silent gasp in shock, her eyes wide. Michael pulled Echo up and huddled together in the nearest corner of the room.

A gruff voice on the other side demanded. "Open the damn door!"

Just as Michael pressed closer to the wall, he fell through and brought Echo down with him. The wall shut briefly afterward. Echo firmly held her flashlight as Michael did the same, shining the light down the dark hall.

"This place just got even cooler." Echo commented.

Michael nodded silently in agreement.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"What do we do now?" Esmeralda asked. "We're stuck here until who-knows-when."

Zara sighed. She stopped her pacing, ending up in the center of the anteroom. Zara turned to look at the other contestants.

Zara shrugged. "I have no idea, but we can't just hang around here. We're still in the middle of a challenge. The sooner we end the challenge, the quicker we can get out."

"Zara's right." McKayla said. "Let's just get this over so I will never have to see this place ever again."

Chelsea scoffed. "You guys are cray. I am _not_ going out there. I kind of want to live to inherit the Carter family fortune."

Just then, there was a tiny creak. Even in the darkness, Zara could see something open as two figures walked out. Dylan shakily shone the flashlight in the same direction, revealing it to just be Echo and Michael.

Lauren asked, "Where were you?"

Echo and Michael exchanged glances, replying in unison,"Exploring."

Chelsea smiled ruefully. "That's great!" Then, she glared. "Well, you two were making the most out this creepy experience, _we_ were _stuck_ in this room while a _psycho_ is roaming about the château!"

"We know." Michael replied. "We were up in that room when someone started knocking on the door and yelling at us to unlock it."

"So how did you from up there to down here?" Damien asked.

"Secret passage." Echo replied.

She knocked on the wall behind her, causing it to lift. Zara grinned.

"This place is so old, so there must be tons of them!" Camilla commented. "We should check this entire room and the other one for more."

"Good idea." Natalie commented.

The others jumped out their spots and began to search every inch of the anteroom and wardrobe room. However, despite how hard they searched, they froze in their spots mid-action. Footsteps approached the door on the other side. "This is taking too long." Esmeralda hissed. She looked at Echo and Michael. "Let's just go the same way you got here."

Echo nodded and walked back to the passageway. She knocked on the wall. The others began walking through the corridor as Echo entered lastly. The wall closed just as they heard the door slowly creak open. They sighed in relief.

Shining their flashlights down the corridor, the contestants quietly walked toward the other end. Water occasionally dripped on their heads as their feet padded against the ground. Michael pushed the end of the passageway. They were still surrounded by darkness as they entered the bedroom. Echo unlocked the door, allowing the others to exit. She closed the door behind them as they walked down the hall to large double doors at the other end. They pushed the doors open.

They gaped as they walked inside a dining room. A long table sat in the center of the room, covered by a fancy white table cloth. A chandelier hung from above, while two china cabinets flanked on both sides of the table. There was another door at the end of the dining room, most likely leading to the kitchen. Once they were all inside, Spencer and Damien quickly closed the doors. They sighed again.

However, horror flashed across all their faces as a scream was heard from outside. They looked around, finding that Saraphina was gone. "Damn it!" Zara hissed, kicking the table. "I thought she was inside with us!"

"That's it, I am done." Chelsea stated. "You guys can stay in here all you want, but I'm out."

She opened the door. The moment she left the room, a gasp escaped Chelsea's lips as a shadow swooped pass the entrance. She raised her arms up in self-defense, but that did nothing. In a blur, Chelsea, letting out a scream of terror, had disappeared along with the shadow. As soon as she was gone, the remaining contestants began to run out of the dining room. They made it to another flight of stairs and ascended to the third floor. Esmeralda opened the first door she saw and ushered everyone inside.

The door was locked right after. They sat on the floor, panting heavily. "I can't take this anymore." Dean sighed. He stood up. "I'm leaving. Anyone else want to join me?"

"Normally, I'd insist on staying since this is a challenge, but I can't risk anything happening to my physical appearance while I'm in this place." Xavier stated.

Dylan and Natalie stood up as well.

"Last chance." Dean stated.

Camilla stood up as Esmeralda bit her lips as she began fidgeting. Camilla and the remaining Hyenas looked at her in concern.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #11**

 **ESMERALDA: Part of me really wanted to stay and win the challenge, in paranoia that I might be the one to go home first. The other part of me wanted to just bolt out of the house in fear that whatever got the others would come after me next.*groans* I still can't believe I chickened out like that. I mean, I usually do all these scary, dangerous stunts and dares… But there is a difference between scary and creepy. _This_ was totally creepy as hell. I couldn't take it anymore, so of course I left!**

 _ **~TD~**_

 **CAMILLA: I'm an athlete. My forte is usually lies within physical activities. I'm not saying that I'm stupid, but I'm not exactly a horror-type of person. Besod, the athlete always dies… aside from the black guy, or girl. In a way, I'm doing myself a favor and getting the heck out of there.**

* * *

"We won't hold it against you if you left." McKayla told Esmeralda. "You've been here long enough."

"But the challenge-"

"Don't worry, we'll win this thing." Zara stated.

Esmeralda sighed. As she stood, Esmeralda smiled at the rest of her teammates. She turned and left with Dean and the others. That left Miranda, Spencer, Damien, Lauren, Michael, Echo, Zara, and McKayla. Zara bit her lip as she turned to McKayla.

"We don't have a chance, do we?" She whispered.

"Nope." McKayla replied. "There's only three of us left. It'll be a miracle if we won."

Echo watched as the Spencer, Damien and Lauren chatted among themselves in hushed whispers. Michael was chilling out by himself. Miranda was, once again, trying to make herself look presentable, despite the darkness. Echo turned to her teammates.

"...I think I might have idea." Echo said hesitantly.

"Well, spill it, girl." McKayla said. Echo rolled her eyes.

"…We could always, I don't know, scare them out ourselves." Echo stated. "Miranda will be pretty easy. The others are going to be hard, especially Michael."

"I'm all for a little scaring." Zara stated.

McKayla nodded in agreement. Echo sighed and began to whisper her ideas.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Zara stood up from the floor. She let out a groan as she stretched, garnering the others' attention.

"I need to use the bathroom." Zara stated. "Someone come with me?"

"I'll go." McKayla replied.

Zara nodded as they both left the room.

The others went back to their previous activities. Echo sat in the far corner of the room, crouched up in a ball. She heard rustling as someone moved to sit next to her. Echo looked up to see Michael. She tightened her position.

"How long do you think we'll have until the challenge ends?" He smirked deviously.

Echo shrugged and turned away from him. He raised an eyebrow at her as his smirk faded.

"… I don't know." She muttered.

Michael let out a sigh as they just sat in silence. Just then, there was a scream. Everyone bolted out of the room. Echo smirked inwardly as they walked to the bathroom. Zara and McKayla stood inside, looking disgusted and horrified. The floor was completely covered in some sort of liquid as the others walked inside.

"What happened?" Damien asked.

"I don't know!" Zara replied as she rushed into his arms. Damien smirked. "I was just washing my hands and then the pipes just _burst_! I'm really freaked out."

Spencer sniffed the air. He made a face right after.

"What's that smell?" He said. "It's like… copper, or something."

"My shoes!" Miranda gasped as she heard a splash beneath her.

She looked down at her boots to find them completely soaked at the bottom.

Lauren shined her flashlight down at the floor. They gasped at the all the blood that spread across the bathroom floor and coated Zara's hands. They quickly left the bathroom. Miranda growled.

"That is it!" Miranda yelled. "I am done! My shoes are ruined! Forget the challenge. Chris, if you're watching, you're buying me a new pair of shoes! And I don't take 'no' for an answer."

Miranda turned around. She stormed out of the hallway and down the stairs. Echo hid her smirk. Zara and McKayla trailed behind with Echo, silently high-fiving each other behind their backs.

"What do you have in mind now?" Zara hissed.

"We should find that psycho and push either one or all of them inside there with him." Echo whispered. "I say we go for Damien or Spencer. They'll be the harder ones to get rid of."

Then Zara and McKayla left Echo's side to join the others. As Echo trailed behind, she could footsteps coming from one of the rooms. She turned around and briefly check in all except one. McKayla and Zara turned around to look back at her. Echo waved them other silently. They nodded.

"Hey, guys, I have a bad feeling." McKayla stated. "I think we should go the other way."

"Why?" Lauren asked.

"That psycho might be waiting downstairs." She replied smoothly.

The Lions turned to each other and shrugged. Finally, they agreed and turned back around in the other direction.

As they passed by, Echo exited from one of the rooms and got behind Spencer and Damien. They froze in front of the last room at the end of the hall. The person inside turned their head to look at the contestants. He walked over. Echo walked closer to Spencer and Damien, 'tripping' over the red hallway runner. 'Accidentally', Echo pushed Spencer and Damien into the room just as she had tripped. As soon as the guys were inside the room, Zara and McKayla grabbed Lauren and Michael as they began to run off in the opposite direction.

Echo caught up to Zara and McKayla.

"To the parlor, but make sure to 'forget' Lauren outside." Echo whispered as low as possible.

They nodded.

They reached the door at the top of the stairs in the foyer. They ran down the stairs, where there was a loud thud. However, they ignored the sound and quickly made it into the parlor. McKayla and Echo closed the doors as Michael plopped down on the armchair. He looked around and sat up.

"Wait- Aren't we missing some people?" He asked.

McKayla looked around, noticing that Lauren wasn't with them. However, her eyes widened as she also noticed that Zara wasn't with them. Two loud screams rattled her as she was tempted to look outside and see if Zara was fine. Upon opening the door, Echo and Michael quickly hid behind some furniture as the person finally made a grabbed McKayla and dragged her out of the room. Then, all was silent.

Echo held her breath as she and Michael heard the footsteps move out the door. Once the sound was completely gone, she and Michael stood up. "Looks like it's just us now." Michael stated. Echo nodded, biting her lip.

"… Yeah." Echo sighed shakily as she sat down on the armchair. "Looks like it."

Just then, Echo began to smirk inwardly. Michael raised an eyebrow as he heard her chuckle in a very dark and sinister manner. "Are you OK?" He asked. He moved to place his hand on her shoulder. However, she began to laugh maniacally and he froze.

She turned her head toward him, a chilling grin gracing her lips as she looked at him. Shivers crawled up Michael's spine as he slowly backed away.

"Echo?" He said.

"Who's _Echo_?" A very gruff voice had replaced Echo's original, feminine one.

Michael's eyes widened as blood began to dribble down from the corner of Echo's lips.

"Stop playing around." He stated.

"What game are we playing?" Echo asked in the same gruff voice. "Can we play funeral? I'll be… the _mortician_."

She coughed just before she threw up some blood. Michael moved away from her.

"I'm getting help." He said in his usual calm tone of voice.

He quickly left the parlor and moved toward the entrance. Echo stopped her chuckling and grinning just as Michael had walked out of the Château. Echo frowned. She got up from the armchair and left the parlor. There was a loud 'beep' from the PA system in the foyer.

 _"The winners of the first challenge of the season: The Harmful Hyenas!"_ Chris's voice exclaimed. _"Looks like I'll be seeing the Lions later at the beach bonfire tonight!"_

 _ **~TD~**_

The entire team cheered as Echo was the last one to enter the tent. She huffed at her hair and shrugged. Echo sat down, tucking her hair behind her ear and sighed. Echo gave a slight smile as her face heated up from all the attention.

"Great job, girl!" McKayla commented.

Meanwhile, at the Lions' table, the Lions didn't look so happy or excited. They poked around at their bowls of grayed mashed potatoes. The Lions all couldn't help but glare at the Hyenas' victory. Though William looked more annoyed at Joshua as Joshua kept talking about various quarterbacks on different football teams.

"OK… so what do we do now?" Damien asked.

"We have to figure out who to vote off." Chelsea stated.

Miranda shut her compact mirror after applying a fresh coat of lip-gloss. The others, minus Joshua and William, looked at her as she smirked.

"Perfect." She hissed. "I say we vote off the NFL-loser."

"Agreed." Chelsea nodded.

"I don't know, darlin', what if we wanted to vote you out instead?" Jeff asked. Miranda scoffed.

"OK, just let me say that you'll be making a big mistake if you do that, got it?" Miranda glared. The others flinched. "Unless you want this to be the start of a losing streak, you'll do the smart thing and keep me."

"Plus, that guy was the _one_ of the first people to run out of the château." Chelsea giggled silently.

They exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

"Great, so it's unanimous." Miranda smirked again. She got up from the table. "If you need me, I'll be inside the cabin."

* * *

The soothing sound of the ocean waves crashing down on the sandy shores filled the silence as the Lethal Lions sat around the bonfire on hand-carved wooden chairs. Chris stood under the cabana at a podium as lit torches surrounded him. He wore a serious expression while they all just looked completely bored and unimpressed.

"Welcome, Lions, to your first elimination ceremony." Chris stated. He picked up a tray of s'mores. "Not long ago, you all voted for the person you wanted gone. At camp, s'mores are a tasty treat that you enjoy while sitting by the fire. However, at this camp tonight, they represent _life_."

Spencer smirked and pretended to aim a gun at his head. Damien and Lauren laughed silently. Miranda scoffed and rolled her eyes. Chelsea opened her compact mirror and began to fix her hair.

"There are only eleven s'mores on this tray, meaning that the person who does not receive one will be have to take the Walk of Shame and ride the Daunting Dinghy back home." Chris said. "If you are eliminated, you are out of the game for good and you cannot come back. If I call your name, you'll receive a s'more and you'll be safe… for tonight. First up: Michael."

Michael caught his s'more without even blinking.

"Adonis."

Adonis silently cheered as caught the s'more in his mouth.

"Hazel."

The s'more went flying right passed Hazel as she wrote in her notebook.

"Chelsea."

Chelsea quickly dodged the s'more before it could ruin her outfit.

"Damien."

Damien smirked as he swiftly caught his s'more.

"Spencer."

Spencer exchanged high-fives with Damien.

"Lauren."

Lauren scoffed as Spencer wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and rolled her eyes.

"William."

William grinned as he caught the s'more.

"Jeff."

Jefferson calmly caught the s'more with his hat.

"Xavier."

Xavier ignored the delicious treat as it flew passed him.

"Boys and girls, the final s'more of the evening." Chris stated as he showed off the nearly empty tray.

Miranda glared at her teammates, who whistled and chuckled nervously. Joshua, however, seemed pretty calm about it.

"Just give me the damn s'more already." Miranda rolled her eyes.

Chris frowned and tossed it over to her. "Josh, the Daunting Dinghy awaits at the other end of the beach."

Joshua got up from his chair. He let out a sigh, shrugging.

"Figured."

Miranda smirked as Josh began his walk down the beach. However, her smirk faded as she turned to Chris.

"… So, Chris?" Miranda said.

"Yes?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"How many votes, exactly, did I get?" She asked sweetly as she fluttered her long eyelashes.

"Just one." Chris grinned before he walked off.

Miranda glared.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #12**

 **MIRANDA: *lightly applying blush to her cheeks* I'm not _stupid_. I know who that one vote came from, so let me tell you: That person is done, like a well-done steak. *shuts her compact and glares* They thought I made their life miserable before? *scoffs* Just wait until tomorrow. They're going to regret voting for me.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **WILLIAM: *groans* I'm so dead**.

* * *

 **Yes, William, yes you are XP**

 **I hope we all learned something pretty important from this chapter: Never mess with Miranda. She'll go all she-devil on you XP**

 **Anyways! Sorry about the wait. Unfortunately, I was busy doing other things while writing this chapter. Luckily, I finished my summer assignments so I shouldn't have a problem with getting the other chapters written and ready for posting… so yeah. I also apologize if this chapter isn't exactly up to par. I haven't slept in three days because I've just been so _damn_ busy. I'm very irritable and I could really use some coffee... and probably a nice, long nap.**

 **I really hoped you guys liked this chapter. Please let me know what you thought. Any criticism you have will be appreciated. If you have any ideas/suggestions, feel free to either post them on my forum or send me a PM. Same thing applies to any questions you have. R &R!**

 ** _~L. Dylan~_**


	5. Cruisin' for a Bruisin'

**Thanks guys for the all reviews you posted for the last chapter! They really meant a lot to me and I'm so happy that you all enjoyed it! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter even more.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TOTAL DRAMA OR ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY! THEY ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF FRESH TV AND TELETOONS! I only own the plot, my OC, Keres Island, etc. I DO NOT OWN THE OTHER OCS FEATURED IN THIS FANFIC; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Last time on Total Drama: Keres Island," Chris began as the cameras filmed him by the docks near the beach, "our campers had a _little_ trouble adjusting to their new environment… and each other. Echo scared the living _crap_ out of everyone with her _sick_ pranks, and the Harmful Hyenas kicked butt in their first challenge when Michael left the chateau after Echo _faked_ being possessed by an evil spirit. In the end, it came down to two campers and Joshua was given the boot after Miranda managed to convince, or rather _threatened_ , the _entire_ team to kick him off. However, it seemed that William had another idea. Will William survive his sister's wrath? Is Echo actually possessed by a demon? More importantly, who will be voted off this week? Find out here on Total… _Drama_ … _KERES_ **_ISLAND_** _!_ "

* * *

 **(Cue Opening Sequence)**

* * *

Makeup and beauty products littered the sink counters in front of the mirrors as steam filled the bathroom. The boys were all lined up outside, waiting for their turn to use the bathroom. However, it seemed that the girls weren't going to be finished anytime soon.

Esmeralda, Saraphina, Hazel, Jessica, and Camilla were all hitting the showers while Zara, Echo, McKayla, Skylar, Natalie, Lauren Miranda, and Chelsea occupied the mirrors. Chelsea couldn't help but get annoyed as the steam continued to fog up all the mirrors. "Can someone _please_ open a window?" Chelsea scoffed. "It's getting _way_ too stuffy in here and I'm starting to sweat."

"Yeah, no kidding." Skylar agreed. McKayla rolled her eyes and sighed. McKayla put down the curling iron and left to turn on the fan inside the bathroom and open a few windows.

Miranda huffed at her hair as she applied a coat of clear lip-gloss over the light-pink lipstick that had been dabbed on her lips. Chelsea stood next to her while applying mascara to her eyelashes and combing out the clumps. "I swear, those Hyenas think they're all that because they won the last challenge." Miranda muttered under her breath. She ran her fingers through her white-blond waves.

"I know right." Chelsea rolled her eyes. She smirked. "They totally won't know what hit them after today."

"Agreed." Miranda agreed as they packed up their stuff and walked out of the bathroom. However, before they did, Miranda stopped by Skylar. " _Yikes_ , Skye, you _might_ want to ease up on the _makeup_. People might start confusing you with Bozo. But, hey, maybe you'll be able to make a self-portrait if you smashed your face on paper."

Skylar's eyes widened as she dropped her lipstick tube on the counter. McKayla put her hand on Skylar's shoulder as the other girls turned to glare at Miranda. "At least Bozo's famous." McKayla replied. "You, on the other hand, look like you fell down in Sephora."

"At least I can _afford_ to shop at Sephora, _homegirl_." Miranda smirked. The other girls couldn't help but watch in horror as Miranda made her comment. Miranda turned on her heels and left with Chelsea right behind her.

"What was that?" Chelsea snorted humorously.

"Nothing, just getting under their skin a little." Miranda sighed happily as they walked toward their cabin.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONAL #13**

 **MCKAYLA: *has her hands on her hips as she glares* That girl is really gettin' on my nerves. I ain't afraid of slapping some sense into some spoiled little Daddy's girl. I've done it before, too! I deal with them girls in my school and I ain't gonna deal with this one's crap either. I don't care if she's the Queen of Sheba, she gonna get if she crosses the line.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **SKYLAR: *puffing at a loose strand of her hair* I honestly don't know what Miranda's problem is. I mean, that was, like, totally out of the blue. *scoffs* I didn't even do _anything_ to her. And I _don't_ wear _that_ much makeup… *looks worried* do I? *immediately whips out her compact and begins looking at her reflection***

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **CHELSEA: I have to admit, Miranda's strategy is a little… _strange_. *pauses for a second to think* Actually, to be honestly, I don't _even_ know what her strategy is. But I figure that it must be something genius. I mean, she has to have some sort of trick up her sleeve. Otherwise, her little threat would be completely null and void.**

* * *

The guys stood in their sleepwear as they waited outside of the bathroom for the girls to hurry up. They had sets of clothes and towels with them while they tried to converse with each other to pass the time.

Spencer groaned as he squirmed in his spot. He looked at Dylan. "Remind me to never challenge you to a drinking contestant ever again." Spencer sighed impatiently.

"No problem, dude." Dylan chuckled.

"What's taking them so long?" Dean asked as he ran his hand through his

"They're girls, man." Spencer said. "What do you expect?"

They continued to wait in silence. Even from outside, they could all hear the sound of water run and giggling. Miranda and Chelsea were the first to walk out. They couldn't help but feel somewhat intimidated by Miranda's dark sunglasses and Chelsea's prim and proper appearance. Miranda sneered and pushed her way pass the line of boys while Chelsea followed behind her, carefully trying not to ruin her black high-heeled oxfords. "Hurry up already!" Damien yelled. "We still have to use the bathroom too!"

"Shut the hell up and wait a minute!" Lauren snapped from inside the bathroom.

"See?" Spencer said. "They take forever to do everything."

Just then, the door swung open as Lauren stormed out with a fierce glare. She was dressed in her usual sleeveless black crop-top and matching low-rise pants, her light brown hair all swept over to one side. "Excuse you?" Lauren scoffed.

"It's true, man, girls take a long time to do everything." Spencer smirked.

"Yo, dude, what the hell are you doin'?" Terrence hissed. Spencer waved him off.

"That is so not true!" Lauren rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?" Spencer raised an eyebrow. "Girls always have to dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail."

"At least we make an effort to look good." Lauren scoffed. "You barely make an effort to get out of bed. Maybe if you took a little more care in your appearance, more girls would be willing to go out with you."

"Girls like you?" Spencer smirked as he leaned closer toward her. Lauren huffed at her hair. Her hand covered his face as she pushed him back.

"You wish." Lauren rolled her eyes. She walked away.

"She totally wants me." Spencer said as soon as Lauren was gone. Dean, Adonis, and Damien chuckled.

"No doubt, dude." Dylan agreed as he and Spencer bumped fists.

~ ** _TD_** ~

The sound of the hairdryer filled the bathroom as Saraphina shook out her bright purple hair, combing out the tangles and knots with a fine-tooth comb. Meanwhile, Skylar brushed out the back of her black, blue floral-print skirt. The heels of Skylar's white satin peep-toed pumps clicked against the floor as she walked out of the bathroom with Zara, Echo, and McKayla not too far behind her. "What do you think today's challenge will be?" Jessica asked as she strapped on a pair of dark brown, high-heeled, woven, wedge-sandals.

"Who knows?" Camilla shrugged while adjusting her dark purple off-the-shoulder t-shirt, which gave view of the black halter top worn underneath. She also wore a pair of jean short shorts and wedge sandals. "It'll probably be something just as crazy as the last challenge."

"You don't honestly think he'll making us go to some other haunted place, do you?" Saraphina asked. "Honestly, the last one really freaked me out. Especially with Chef posing as some psychopathic killer."

"I hope not." Esmeralda scoffed, buttoning her black high-waist shorts. She pulled on a grey tank top with a danger sign on the front and laced up her black sneakers right after. Esmeralda stood back up and began her hair up into its usual high, genie-like ponytail. "I only came on this show for the stunts. I didn't agree to do any voodoo thing. Like, I'm not about that life. I don't play with Ouija boards every weekend."

"Neither do I, but I'm doing this so I can help protect nature and preserve wildlife." Natalie replied, shoving her hands into the front pocket of her gray hoodie.

"That's really cool." Camilla commented.

They were about to leave when they remembered Hazel. They found Hazel sitting in the corner of the bathroom, writing in her notebook. She wore a pair of black jeans with an oversized blood red sweater that had the Harry Potter symbol on it and a pair of dark red skater shoes.

As Hazel was in the middle of writing, Camilla sighed and proceeded to literally drag Hazel out of the bathroom by the back of her shirt. Camilla kicked the door open. Esmeralda held the door for the others. "It's all yours!" Esmeralda smirked as she passed the boys.

"Finally!" Adonis sighed in relief as they all crowded by the door to get inside first.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #14**

 **ADONIS: So… I didn't make it far in the last challenge. *rubs the back of his neck nervously* I mean, can you blame me? You'd have be either Echo or Michael to be able to stay in a place like that for as long as they did. *shrugs* Horror isn't everyone's thing, and it definitely isn't mine. *says with confidence* But I'll definitely try to make it up to my team in today's challenge. Nothing's going to stop _me_ from winning, so give me your best shot McLean! **

**~ _TD_ ~**

 **SARAPHINA: *sits crouched up with her knees against her chest* I can't really say much about the last challenge. *shrugs* I mean, what do you expect me to do? *rolls her eyes and scoffs* It's not like I was one of the losers who actually ran out. I was just caught by Chef. I couldn't have known that he'd be waiting for me. *sighs* But I guess I could ante the effort so I can _actually_ have a chance to win.**

* * *

Once again, the campers were served some of Chef's disgusting slop to eat for breakfast. There was a lot of lively chatter at the Hyenas' table. However, it was quite the opposite at the Lions' table. William approached his team's table with a two trays full of cups, which were most likely filled with piping hot coffee. "What are you doing, man?" Dean asked while taking a whiff of his own cup of coffee. He sighed happily and carefully took a sip.

"None of your damn business." William snapped. He plopped the trays in front of Miranda as she applied a fresh coat of lip-gloss while looking at her reflection. She shut her compact and grinned at the trays.

"Perfect!" She chirped. She took one of the cups from the tray.

"Is all that really necessary?" Chelsea raised an eyebrow while folding her arms over her chest. "I mean, you might as well become Hazel's twin or something."

The rest of the table turned to look at a jittery Hazel as she continued to write in her notebook, completely oblivious, while taking sips of coffee from in between. They shook their heads and turned back to the current conversation. "I'm doing a little taste-test to see which I like better." Miranda shrugged it off. Miranda took a sip and immediately spat it out, spraying it all in William's face. "That is _disgusting_!"

"What the hell!" William glared. "What's wrong with it?"

"OK, I'm going to pretend that you didn't just yell at me." Miranda sighed. "If you got _one_ of them wrong, then you definitely got them _all_ wrong. Take them back. _Now_."

"Are you _freaking_ kidding me!?" William exclaimed as an incredulous expression washed over his face. "This is what _you_ asked for!"

" _No_ , I didn't." Miranda glared. "I _specifically_ asked for a nonfat, lactose-free, foam-free French vanilla latte, steamed to a hundred and twenty-two heat, with cocoa sprinkles. This isn't nonfat, it's _regular_! And it's not even a latte, it's _coffee_!"

"What's the difference?" William asked. "It's practically the same. They both caffeinated, aren't they?"

Several gasps shot across the room. Dean, Chelsea, Skylar, Echo, Michael, and Lauren all looked at him in a mixture of shock and utter disbelief. Even Hazel had stopped writing to look at William as her jaw practically dropped to the floor. "Dude, you did not just say that." Dean said.

"What?" William said dumbly. Hazel shook her head and went back to writing.

"Of course, there's a difference." Skylar rolled her eyes. "Coffee is made from beans and hot water. A latte is, like, basically an espresso and steamed milk with these cute little designs made from, like, frothy milk on top. A latte is, like, way cuter and more chic than a coffee. Can you imagine a girl, wearing a cute designer mini, going into a coffee shop and ordering _coffee_?"

"She's right." Chelsea agreed. Echo, Lauren, Hazel, and Michael all just shrugged. William groaned.

"You guys seriously need a life." Spencer chuckled. "You're making a big deal over coffee. Give the guy a _break_."

"Whatever!" William snapped. William turned to Miranda. "Look, this is all they had. You can complain all you want, because I'm not going to do anything! We are on an abandoned island. There isn't a coffee shop here within miles. If you want a latte so bad, then drop-out of the competition and go get it yourself!"

Miranda blinked as her eyes began watering. She fanned her face in an attempt to keep herself from possibly ruining her makeup. "You are, like, so mean to me!" Miranda sniffled. "I know I can be bossy sometimes, but I'm your little sister! I swear, most of the times it's like I'm the older twin and I'm just looking out for you. Like, seriously, sorry for caring."

Just like that, Miranda ran out of the main lodge a sobbing mess.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #15**

 **MIRANDA: *laughs* I've totally got this competition wrapped around my fingers. I mean, if can turn my entire team against my own brother just like that *snaps fingers*, then you might as well just give me the million _now_. *smirks* Looks like all those _acting_ lessons _really_ paid off after all. Thank you, Daddy! *blows a kiss at the camera***

 ** _~TD~_**

 **WILLIAM: *groans* I just walked myself right into that one, didn't I? Now, my whole team probably hates me. _Just great._ *face-palms* _Stupid_!**

* * *

Chris walked into the main lodge as the Lions' all glared at William… Well, all except Hazel. Chris took note and just laughed at William's expense. "Dude, it hasn't even been that long." Chris chuckled. "What did you do to tick them all off?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." William groaned as his forehead hit the table surface.

"Alright, campers, finish your up breakfast and get into your swimsuits." Chris stated. He grinned. "You guys are going for a little swim today."

They groaned in protest as Chris laughed. He turned and walked out.

~ ** _TD_** ~

Chris sighed in frustration. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground as he waited at the top of the highest cliff on the island. Chef and the male competitors waited with him, dressed in just their trunks. "What's taking them so long?" Chris whined.

"They're girls." Spencer smirked. "What do you expect?"

Just then the girls had finally arrived. Miranda and Chelsea glared at Lauren, who was glaring back. Hazel, wearing a scarlet red bikini, wrote in her notebook as she joined the guys on her team. "Looking good, ladies." Spencer smirked, letting out a low whistle.

"Get bent." Lauren scoffed as she directed her glare at him.

"Finally!" Chris sighed in relief. He began to smile. "Now, who's ready for a little cliff-diving?"

The campers all groaned. "Yes!" Esmeralda cheered, pumping a fist in the air. They all turned to look at her in disbelief as she whooped. "Bring it, McLean!"

The others shook their heads and turned to look aback at Chris. Chris frowned. "That's cool." Chris shrugged. He smiled deviously. "I'm up for breaking a few spirits... and a few bones."

"The _challenge_?" Chelsea scoffed.

"I'm getting to that!" Chris glared. "Sheesh! Talk about a bunch of killjoys. Anyways, welcome to the _first_ part of today's challenge."

"You mean, there's more?" Adonis groaned.

"Correctamundo, dude." Chris grinned. "Today's challenge is three-fold. Your first task is to jump off this one-thousand foot high cliff into Lake Galwaugh."

"Really, man?" Dean raised an eyebrow. " _Again_?"

"What?" Chris said. "We're low on budget."

"Whatever." McKayla scoffed. "That's it? That'll be a piece of cake, sugar."

"Actually, it won't." Chris smirked. "The challenge wasn't dangerous enough so we had the lake stocked with _psychotic_ , man- _eating_ sharks. At the bottom of the lake are keys. While avoiding the sharks, you'll have to snag one of those keys and make it back to the beach. Be careful though, only one of those keys will open your team's chest. If you happen to choose the wrong one, you'll have to take another plunge."

"What if we have a medical condition that prevents us from participating in today's challenge?" Miranda asked.

"You chicken out if you want, but that might cost your team an advantage later on in the game." Chris shrugged. "It's a pretty good advantage, so I wouldn't risk it if I were you. The last part of the challenge involves three volunteers from each team, who will have to sit out during the second portion. Because the second portion will give away the final task, I won't bother explaining it. You'll just have to figure it out for yourselves."

" _Seriously_?" Camilla exclaimed. "We could _die_! The _least_ you can do is give us a hint."

"Sorry, but no can do." Chris shook his head. "Just hope you all know how to float, otherwise there's no you can possibly complete this challenge."

"Thanks for those words of encouragement." Zara rolled her eyes as she looked down from the edge of the cliff. She huffed at a loose strand of her hair.

"Places people, it's diving time!" Chris cackled. "Choose your starting divers. Remember, one diver per team at a time. The next diver has to wait until the previous diver returns. It's funnier that way"

Zara approached the edge of the cliff and looked down at the lake. She could see dorsal fins poking through the water, as if the sharks were waiting for their first victim. The poked their heads up and grinned devilishly. "OK… so who wants to go first?" She asked.

"Me!" Esmeralda exclaimed as she eagerly races to the cliff's edge. "I _live_ for the rush."

Miranda glared as she turned to face her team. She whipped off her shades and placed her hands on her hips. "A million bucks is at stake here." Miranda stated. "Every challenge we lose is a step farther from any of us actually having a chance to win it. We cannot afford to lose. Someone is going first, whether they like it or not."

"Agreed." Chelsea nodded. "Any volunteers?"

"I got this." Spencer stated as he turned around. He walked up next to Esmeralda with a smirk. "You're going down, Betty. My team's got this challenge in the bag,"

" _Excuse_ you?" Esmeralda glared. "Don't call me Betty, try-hard. You're talking a big game. Let's see if you can _walk_ the _walk_ though, _tough guy_."

"It's on."

"Ready…" Chris stated. "Set… DIVE!"

The loud air-horn practically deafened everyone's ears as Chris plugged his up with earbuds. Esmeralda and Spencer dived off the cliff in perfect form. "Get ready for the butt-whooping off a life-time, big boy!" Esmeralda yelled before she hit the water.

"Atta girl, Esme!" McKayla cheered, as did the rest of the Hyenas.

"Spencer, I will make you so miserable if you lose this for us!" Chelsea snapped. She turned around to find Hazel writing in her notebook. Nostrils flaring, Chelsea snatched Hazel's notebook out of the writer's grasp and threw it into Damien's arms. She turned to Damien with a stern look. "Don't give it to her until after the challenge."

Hazel quickly turned to Damien and reached to grab her book. However, Damien held it high above his head. Hazel continued to struggle. "Gimme!" Hazel begged.

"No!" Chelsea scolded. "You cannot be distracted. You'll get your _stupid_ book _after_ we win the challenge."

"She don't mean any harm." Jeff stated. "Are you really gonna take away something she loves?"

"If it means winning, then yes." Chelsea scoffed.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONAL #16**

 **JEFF: *lets out a low whistle* Chelsea is one pretty little lady. I get she's into winnin' an' all, but I think she needs to relax a bit. I mean, that can't be good for a person's health… Can it?**

* * *

Esmeralda grabbed a silver key with a triangular bow from the bottom of the lake. Right before her, a shark looked at Esmeralda intently. She froze, her eyes darting up toward the surface. Her gaze turned onto Spencer, who had already made it up to the surface. She glared at the shark and a punched it in the snout. As quickly as she could, Esmeralda took off toward the surface. She gasped.

Spencer crawled onto the beach with a copper, rectangular key in hand. He looked around to find Esmeralda was finally catching up. He snapped back again and began to jog further onto the beach. Two chests, one red and the other green, sat directly across from one another. Spencer made his way toward the red chest and placed his key in the keyhole. "Damn it!" Spencer huffed, throwing the failed key onto the sand. He began to head back toward the cliff just as Esmeralda made it to the green one.

She inserted her key and jiggled it around. "Man." Esmeralda clicked her tongue in disappointment as she followed after Spencer.

As Esmeralda and Spencer began making their way back to the cliff, the two teams once again went into a huddle. "Sara, you're up." Camilla stated.

"Why me?" Saraphina asked.

"It's all strategy." Zara replied. "Just jump and get it over with."

"Last time I checked, _no one_ put you in charge." Saraphina huffed. She folded her arms over her chest. "You might be my teammates, but you can't tell me what to do. I'll jump when I want to."

"Just do it already, girl." Terrence said.

"I said 'no'." Saraphina glared.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #17**

 **SARAPHINA: *huffs at her hair* I don't care if it was all ' _strategy'_. *rolls her eyes* I don't mind jumping off a dumb cliff, but nobody tells me what to do. It's been like that for a long time. If people think that I'm going to allow myself to be bossed around just to win a million bucks, *scoffs* then they're dead wrong. Seriously, if I don't want to do something, then don't force me too.**

 ** _~TD~_**

 **CAMILLA: *sighs* Everyone else was fine with Zara's matchups. I don't know what issues Sara deals with, but she's seriously got to get a grip or something. She may not like being told what to do, but that's not exactly going to do her any good in life. Girl's going to have people telling her what to do all the time.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **ZARA: *rolls her eyes* It's not about who's in charge, it's about being a team-player. Sara doesn't like being told what to do. *sighs heavily* I get that, but that's too bad. Unfortunately for her, McKayla, Camilla, and I all have one thing in common: *folds her arms over her chest* We're bossy, and we want to win the cash. We can't exactly do that if we all end up going home. *sighs again* Honestly, if we lose, I already know who I'm voting for. *shrugs* It's nothing personal, just strategy.**

* * *

"Whatever, I'll take her place." McKayla rolled her eyes. She walked toward the edge and stood next to Adonis. She turned and twisted her upper body, followed by quad-stretches.

"You got this, Mack!" Zara shouted just as Esmeralda and Spencer arrived. McKayla took off without a moment's delay as Adonis dived off right after.

"If I live, I promise that I'll control my temper!" Adonis yelled as he curled up in a ball.

McKayla closed her eyes as she braced herself for the landing. A loud splash filled her ears before the sound was muffled. McKayla opened her eyes, greeted by a glint. Cautiously, she swam toward it.

Meanwhile, Adonis's eyes widened as a ravenous shark followed him wherever he went. It was apparent that the sea creature was intent on making Adonis its meal. Adonis swerved and turned. He swooped down toward the lake bottom and scooped up a gold key with a rounded bow. He shot up out of the water just as he felt the shark ready itself to bite. "Crap!" Adonis exclaimed.

Unfortunately for McKayla, she found herself cornered by three sharks. They gazed at her hungrily. For a second, McKayla was sure she saw one of them lick its lips. "I got you, Mack!"

McKayla looked up as Terrence called out toward her, holding a slingshot. Her gaze focused back on the sharks just as rocks pelted the sharks on their snouts. Immediately, the sharks disappeared under the water. McKayla looked back up. "Nice shot, sugar!" McKayla yelled as she swam toward shore.

Adonis grew anxious as he noticed that he and McKayla were finally neck-and-neck. Gritting his teeth, he paddled faster and harder toward the beach. "Get ready to eat my wave, baby." McKayla smirked as she quickened her pace to match Adonis's speed.

"You wish." Adonis commented as he arrived at the shore. He jogged along the sand and inserted his key. He huffed and threw the key on the ground, angrily burying it in the sand. "Stupid!"

"Yo, Chris, you better hope this is the right key or Imma whoop your scrawny butt into next week!" McKayla yelled. She shoved the key into the hole and found it to be utterly useless. McKayla growled as she stomped off.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"They're coming back!" Skylar exclaimed as Dylan busied himself with getting pumped up. The skater exchanged high-fives with Natalie as he got ready by the cliff next to Damien. As soon as Adonis and McKayla reached the top, the two boys jumped off. Dylan's cheer was followed by a loud splash.

"How was the dive?" Miranda smirked as McKayla rejoined the Hyenas.

"You wanna find out?" McKayla growled as she shoved Miranda toward the edge of the cliff and finally pushed the blonde off. She placed her hands on her hips as listened to Miranda's scream. "Hope that cools you off, because that didn't do anything for me!"

"Will that count for anything?" Xavier turned to Chris, smirking.

"Her pain, our gain; I'm going to allow it." Chris chuckled mischievously. McKayla turned to the TV host.

"Yo, I did not just jump off a frickin' cliff for a stupid key that don't work." McKayla glared. McKayla kept a hand on her hip as she rudely jabbed a finger into Chris's chest. "I swear, if we don't end up winnin', I'm gonna drown you in a pool of your own hair gel."

"That's the spirit, boss!" Tristan said. "Maybe you could lock him in his empty awards' closet too."

The rest of the campers looked down at the lake just as Miranda emerged from the water. "YOU ARE SO DEAD!" Miranda yelled as Dylan and Damien began swimming for shore.

"You weren't eaten by one of them sharks, now were you?" McKayla smirked. "They probably don't like the taste of skinny, whiny bi-"

"Hey, look!" Lauren said. "I think they got the wrong keys again."

"Go, Dylan!" Natalie shouted.

Chelsea took in a deep breath as she turned to Hazel. Chelsea grabbed Hazel's notebook and dangled it before the writer's hazel eyes. Hazel perked up and immediately reached for the book. However, Chelsea moved it out of Hazel's reach. "Do the next dive and maybe I'll give this back to you until the next part of the challenge." Chelsea glared. Hazel nodded eagerly and waited at the cliff's edge with Colton.

Hazel looked down at bottom of the cliff in determination. She bounced in her spot as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. "R-Ready?" Colton nervously asked her.

"I'm getting my book back." Hazel nodded as she narrowed her eyes.

Colton paled as he glanced down. He whipped around to look at his team with wide eyes. His body was shaking. "Yeah… I'm not so sure I can do this." Colton sighed shakily.

"You can do this, Colton!" Jessica smiled encouragingly. "Just… try not to think about it so much."

"I don't think that's possible, considering that I could possibly _die_!" Colton replied.

"Well... uh…" Jessica chuckled nervously.

"Just do it for the rush, man!" Esmeralda cheered. "Embrace the rush!"

"OK…" Colton slowly turned away. He looked at Hazel. "… So, you like to write?"

Hazel's eyes practically lit up once she heard the word 'write' escape Colton's lips. She snapped around to look at him. A huge grin graced her lips. "Yes!" Hazel replied excitedly in almost a squeal. "Do you?"

"Yeah… maybe we can read each other's work sometime." Colton smiled.

"GO!"

Their eyes widened as they felt a force push them off the cliff. Hazel, once again, looked very determined as she swooped down toward the lake in a pose that was reminiscent of Superman soaring through the skies. "FOR THE BOOK!" Hazel cried.

"MOTHER OF MERCY!" Colton exclaimed in pure terror as his eyes widened, limbs flailing.

Hazel gritted her teeth as her fist slammed against the snout of a grinning shark below her. She paddled down toward the bottom of the lake and grabbed a fistful of sand and a silver key. She turned around, suddenly surrounded by sharks. Hazel glared and swam toward them, fisting one of them in the gut. Hazel emerged, swimming toward the beach with the speed of a speedboat. Hazel jiggled the key around in the hole, but was greatly disappointed when the chest didn't open. With the speed of a cheetah, she zoomed back to the clifftop. "I… _want_ … _MY_... **_BOOK!_** " Hazel cried as she tackled Chelsea to the ground and grabbed her book from her.

"You could have said 'please'." Chelsea groaned as Spencer and Jeff helped her back up. She swatted them away. "OK, I'm fine. You don't have to touch me."

"Are you insane?" Miranda glared at Hazel. "What the hell was that? You didn't even get the right key, so now you don't get your book back at all."

"But-"

"No!" Miranda snapped. "No book!"

"Hey, man, at least she jumped off the cliff." Dean stated.

"If she really wanted that book, she would have gotten the right key." Miranda glared. Dean sighed and shook her.

"What are you talking about?" Dean raised an eyebrow. "You haven't done anything since the challenge started."

"That is totally not true." Miranda rolled her eyes. "I'm _trying_ to help us _win_."

"How?" Michael asked. "You've just been bossing us around the whole time."

"Yeah, if you wanted to help us win, then you would've jumped off that cliff yourself instead of making other people do it." Adonis pointed out.

"No way." Miranda scoffed. "We're on _international_ TV, people. My makeup will run and I'll get my hair wet. Besides, I already took a dive."

"Newsflash: It already happened, and it doesn't count because McKayla _pushed_ you!" Lauren snapped. She turned to McKayla with a smirk. "By the way, nice job!"

"No problem, girlfriend." McKayla smirked back.

"FYI, the Hyenas are in lead because you were all so focused on Miranda and her pride in her appearance." Chelsea rolled her eyes.

" _What_!?" The entire Lions' team gasped as they watched Natalie cannon-ball into the lake. Chelsea growled.

"You guys are, like, seriously pathetic." Chelsea stomped toward the edge. "Honestly, if you want to get something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Chelsea dove off in perfect form. The moment she hit the water, Chelsea didn't waste a single moment. She took her time looking at all the multiple keys buried in the sandy lake bottom. From the corners of her eyes, Chelsea spotted a shark heading her way. Chelsea grabbed a silver key with a square bow. She emerged from the water just as shark neared her. "What the _hell_ took you so long?" Adonis asked. "They're in the lead!"

Chelsea turned her head away. For sure, Natalie was way ahead of her. Chelsea glared and began to pick up the pace. By the time Chelsea had reached shore, Natalie was already at her team's chest. Chelsea flipped her teammates off as she inserted the key into the chest and heard the telltale 'click'. She opened the chest. "And the Lions win the first part of the challenge." Chris announced. "Let's how they'll fair during the second part of the challenge after the break."

~ ** _TD_** ~

"Welcome back to _Total Drama: Keres Island_ , before the break, Chelsea won the first part of today's challenge for the Lions." Chris stated. "Now, the Hyenas can only hope to redeem themselves in the final part of our three-part challenge. For the second part, each team is to choose three members to sit out while they work a little project. Let's see how they'll do."

The Hyenas sat in a circle on the sand, far away from the Lions' huddle. Camilla looked over at the other team. "I think we might be building something." Zara hissed, garnering her team's attention.

"What makes you say that?" Echo asked.

"Before Chris said something floating to win the challenge." Zara replied. "I don't think he was talking about swimming. I think he was talking about building a sound boat."

"I'm totally sitting this out then." Skylar stated. "I'm not exactly, like, the best with tools."

"For a second there, I thought that you were the real-life Bob the Builder." Tristan rolled his eyes. Skylar scowled.

"I think I'm with Skylar on this." Dylan rubbed at his neck.

"Anyone else?" Esmeralda looked around.

"Me." Jessica raised her hand.

"Great." McKayla commented.

Unlike the Hyenas' group, the Lions were exactly fairing so well. In fact, the entire group was in dispute as they glared at one another. "Why do you get to sit out?" Lauren snapped. "You didn't do crap during the first part!"

"Because I said so." Miranda glared.

"That's, like, totally not fair." Spencer commented.

"When is anything ever fair?" Miranda scoffed.

"Lady has a point." Jefferson shrugged. He smiled at Miranda, who sneered in his direction.

"Spencer, Damien, and I are going to sit out." Adonis stated. "We jumped, so we deserve a break. No take-backs or anything, we called it."

"I _like_ your thinking, dude." Spencer smirked as he and Damien slapped some skin with Adonis.

"We can agree with that, right guys?" Dean asked. The rest of the team nodded.

" _Fine_." Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Alright, guys!" Chris exclaimed. "Time for the second part of the challenge. Get ready!"

A shadow loomed over the campers as they looked overhead to see a giant net holding a mountain of trash hovering above them. The Hyenas immediately grabbed their chest and ran off. However, the Lions weren't so lucky, as their team chest was crushed to pieces by all the junk. "What the hell, Chris?" Chelsea glared.

"For the second part of your challenge, your team must built a speed boat that can safely float across the water using whatever junk you can find in this pile." Chris stated. "However, you'll be three people short because your three volunteers won't be moving a muscle until the last part of the challenge. Since the Lions won the first part, they get their own parts, instructions, blueprints, and way better tools than they would've gotten had they lost the first part. The Hyenas will just have to use this crap here and their brains... if they have any."

The Lions cheered as Chris handed them pieces of paper and a large toolbox. Dean opened up the box and sorted out everything inside while Lauren looked over the blueprints and Chelsea read over the directions. Meanwhile, the Hyenas complained about how most their supplies were ruined. "Enjoy the s'mores." Miranda smirked.

"No thanks, you might need all the comfort food you can get when we win." McKayla said. Miranda glared.

"Lucky for you guys that I didn't sit this one out, or you've been in a whole lot of trouble." Terrence stated.

"Excuse you?" McKayla raised an eyebrow.

"I think Terrence might have an idea… right?" Jessica quickly intervened.

"Yeah, and I'm gonna need y'all to listen if this is gonna work." Terrence stated.

Meanwhile, the Lions had already gotten started on building their boat. They passed around tools and parts of their speedboats while Lauren sat down with the blueprints. "Hey, geniuses, you're putting it the wrong way." Lauren stated.

"Are we really?" Dean asked.

"No, I just said that because I felt like messing with you." Lauren rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure the engine isn't supposed to go there."

A loud ruckus from the Hyenas gained the Lions' attention. The sound of drills, a hammer, and a saw filled their ears. They gasped, eyes widening and jaws practically dropping to the floor as they saw the Hyenas' speed boat. Adonis face-palmed. "No way!"

"What the hell!?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Miranda exclaimed. She face-palmed. "How the _hell_ did they manage to build _that_ from that pile of crap!?"

"For starters, we're a _team_." Zara smirked. "You should try that sometime."

"Must be nice." Dean huffed.

"Looks like you'll be the ones enjoying those s'mores after all." Esmeralda teased.

"Don't get so confident, _Betty_." Spencer smirked.

"Don't call me Betty!" Esmeralda huffed. "At least my team has a boat."

"Which might end up sinking." Spencer added in a little taunt. Esmeralda growled as she turned back around. Lauren rolled her eyes and hit Spencer over the head with the rolled-up blueprints. "Jealous?"

"Yes, I'm just _dying_ for your attention." Lauren scoffed. Lauren pointed the rolled-up blueprints at his face. "You're not the one building this stupid boat, so shut up and let us focus."

Spencer smirked as he pointed the blueprints away from him. "Look, Lo, I know you want me." He stated. "If you want to kiss me, I might let you."

Lauren growled. "Kiss this!" Lauren glared as she kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. The rest of the campers stopped working to watch as Spencer doubled-over in pain, groaning. Lauren smirked. "Still think I want that kiss?"

Spencer responded with another groan.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #18**

 **LAUREN: *huffs at her hair* Spencer? It's like talking to a brick wall. *sighs in frustration* I swear, that guy seriously _creases_ me! When a girl says she's _not_ interested, that means she _really_ doesn't want to make-out with you. *glares* I'm here to win. I can't have a guy distracting me!**

 ** _~TD~_**

 **SPENCER: *smirks* She totally digs me. I mean, who can resist _this_? *rolls his eyes* I've seen this act way too many times, I know what happens next. Trust me when I say that it won't be long until she caves. *winks at the camera* Then again, Lauren's pretty hot, and I like my girls feisty, so… Yeah, I'll play her game… *smirks* for now.**

* * *

"Alright, campers, times up!" Chris yelled into a bull-horn as he swooped down to the beach on a jetpack. "Put down your tools and get your boats into the water. It's time for the third and final part of your challenge."

Miranda glanced toward the Hyenas' boat while her team pushed their boats across the sand into the water. Dean tied it down to the docks while Terrence did the same. Her eyes narrowed down as she slowly snuck away from her team, going completely unnoticed by them and the Hyenas.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #19**

 **MIRANDA: *shrugs while filing her nails* OK, so I was being a little paranoid. _Whatever_. I mean, can you blame me? *scoffs* My team was about to head down a major losing streak. We cannot be the next Killer Bass, *rolls her eyes as she folds her arms over her chest* and the other team practically built their boat within, like, ten seconds. Then again, I don't think I'll have anything to worry about. Best case scenario: *smirks again as she pulls out a bobby pin from her hair* The Hyenas might find themselves in a bit of a _jam_.**

* * *

A boy with messy light brown hair scurried off after hooking up a pair of water-skis to both teams' boats. Chris cleared his throat as the cameras focused on him, garnering the attention of the contestants. "OK, time for the final part of the challenge." He stated. The campers cheered and sighed in relief. "Previously, three members of each team volunteered to sit out during the second part of the challenge. Will those people step up and board their team's boat, please?"

The six campers looked around nervously as they walked toward their boats. Dylan pulled Skylar and Jessica in while Damien, Adonis, and Spencer jumped over into theirs. They exchanged glances as Chris continued. "They will be using their team's boat to race around the island." Chris snickered. "Someone will have to be the driver and one unlucky person will be the skier. Each skier will be collecting flags that they see in the water. The first team to have their boat cross the finish line with all their flags in hand will be the winner of challenge and will be rewarded with an awesome hot-tub party. The losers will be sending someone home."

"I'll drive." Spencer, Adonis, and Damien said in unison. "No, I'll drive."

Meanwhile, Skylar, Dylan, and Jessica kept staring at each other in awkward silence. Dylan rubbed at the back of his neck. Skylar was fishtailing her hair. Jessica whistled while looking up at the sky. "So… like, who wants to drive?" Skylar asked.

"I'm down with skiing, brah." Dylan stated as he left to go put on the skis.

"You can drive if you want." Jessica told Skylar.

"See, there's kind of a problem with that." Skylar laughed nervously. "I've kind of failed my driver's test… _twice_ , so..."

"Twice?" Jessica's eyebrows shot up.

"That's _awesome_ , dude." Dylan laughed. Jessica sighed.

"I can drive, then… I guess." Jessica stated. She turned to Dylan. "And you, try not to hurt yourself or anything. OK? We can't exactly be one team member down."

"You got it, brah." Dylan grinned. "I am going to shred these waves, dudes!"

The Hyenas cheered, as did as few members from the Lions. However, Miranda simply smirked. Chelsea raised an eyebrow as she casually moved next to her. "What's up?" Chelsea said bluntly. "You're acting weird all of a sudden."

"Nothing, just getting a whiff of victory." Miranda shrugged. "There's no way _they_ could actually win. I mean, with a crappy boat like that? There's bound to be some complications."

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #20**

 **CHELSEA: *narrows her eyes in suspicion* She's up to something… and I'm going to find out exactly what.**

* * *

A gunshot rang in the air as the boats finally took off. A bird crashed down on the docks right before Chris's feet. Natalie gasped as she immediately rushed toward the bird's side. It let out a frail chirp. "You, like, totally almost shot its wing off." Natalie glared at Chris.

"I guess I shouldn't have done that." Chris stated. He whistled innocently as he tossed the gun into the water.

"If only that was on camera for the _entire_ world to see." Tristan smirked. "Wait! It is."

Meanwhile, the Lions cheered as Damien grabbed their first flag. The Hyenas couldn't help but bite their nails when Dylan almost missed their first one. They were relieved he finally grabbed it though. However, their relief was brief as they watched their boat slow down.

Miranda smirked.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #21**

 **MIRANDA: *smirks as she sits with her legs crossed* And that is why, my dear audience, you should never leave the house without a good hair accessory. *holds up the bobby pin again* You may never know when you'll need it. And in my case, that would be to win.**

* * *

"What just happened?" Jessica's eyes widened as the boat stopped moving. The engine made weird noises, and then no other noises were made afterwards. She moved the wheel around in an attempt to steer the boat. "Why did we just stop?"

"Dudes, what's the problem?" Dylan asked.

"We don't know!" Skylar shouted. She turned to Jessica, looking panicked. "Did we run out of gas?"

"Impossible." Jessica replied. "We just started. We couldn't have run out that quickly."

"We built this out of junk." Skylar pointed out.

"Then, that _might_ be a good possibility." Jessica stated.

 ** _~TD~_**

"This is seriously awesome, man!" Damien whooped as he grabbed another flag. Spencer and Adonis cheered. "If I'd known how easy this would be, I would've volunteered in a heartbeat."

"And, look, man!" Adonis said. "We're in the lead!"

Spencer focused ahead as he gripped the wheel tightly in his hands, steering the boat wherever he pleased. He looked in mirrors, seeing the other team's boat hadn't moved. However, it was still floating. "Think they gave up?" Spencer smirked.

"I don't know, man." Adonis shrugged. "I think they stopped. Whatever, though. Better them than us, I always say."

"Right you are, dude." Spencer grinned as he drove full-speed ahead.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"They stopped!" Colton exclaimed as the Hyenas focused on their boat. They turned to Terrence with a glare.

"Yo, man, tell me that we did not waste our time building a crappy boat." McKayla folded her arms over her chest.

"Yo, chill." Terrence stated.

"Chill?" McKayla's eyes widened. "Brother's tellin' me to chill!? In case you forgot, you made us build that boat."

"Girl, I've won first-place in every science fair and math bee I've entered." Terrence replied calmly. "I'm an Honors student with four-point GPA. My blueprints are never wrong. The only way my invention could have failed is if someone else decided to mess with it."

"I checked his blueprints, and they were as perfect as can be." Zara added. "Our boat was very durable and capable of racing. The theory of sabotage is plausible."

"See?" Terrence said. "I'm hurt that y'all think I'd purposely cost us a hot-tub party."

"Sorry, man." McKayla frowned.

"It's cool." He shrugged. "I get it. I'd be suspicious of me too. I did make the plans for that boat. We cool?"

"Cooler than my dog in summer." McKayla nodded. However, she glared. "Unless you do somethin' that really gets on my nerves."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Terrence grinned as she punched Terrence in the arm. McKayla smiled.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #22**

 **MCKAYLA: *smiles* Terrence's pretty chill. I mean, he was just so fly about everything. *shrugs* I would've told off anyone who accused me of whatever. Gotta admit though: He's pretty cute, too. *frowns* But I don't think I can manage a relationship if I want to win.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **TERRENCE: *shrugs* The thing about me is: I don't let anything get on my nerves. Unless someone's being bullied, I'm pretty laid-back. So I was pretty OK with McKayla snapping at me like that. I mean, I understand. She didn't want to lose, and anything that goes wrong with the boat reflects on me. I came up with everything.**

* * *

"What do we do now?" Skylar asked. Dylan had taken off his skis and just floated on the water.

"Chill until someone comes to get us." Dylan shrugged. "I've learned to just let nature take its course."

Jessica climbed out of her seat and moved toward the outboard engine. Skylar followed as her shadow loomed over Jessica. She crouched down. "What are you doing?" Skylar asked.

"Checking the engine." She replied. "This is what makes the boat go, so something must be wrong with it."

"Does it matter?" Skylar raised an eyebrow. "I mean, we're already far behind."

"You can't give up so easily." Jessica stated. "I get you've been sheltered your whole life, but Daddy's not here to support you. Honestly, you're not going to make it very far if you don't have perseverance. You might as well just pack your bags and go home. We're all here to win, and that's what I'm going to try to do now."

Jessica opened the outboard engine and glanced inside. Skylar noticed something poking out and immediately made a grab for it. "What's this?" Skylar raised an eyebrow as she pulled out a bobby pin. "How did that get in there?"

"Doesn't matter." Jessica grinned when the engine roared to life again. "All that matters now is that we're back in the game."

"Let's score some points, dude!" Dylan cheered as he got his skis back on. Jessica and Skylar cheered as the boat sped off.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"We are the champions!" Spencer and Adonis shouted the words to the song as Damien scored the second to last flag. "We are the champions! No time for losers, 'cause we are the champions… _Of the world_!"

"And we'll be getting a wicked hot-tub party tonight." Adonis added.

"You said it, dude." Damien replied.

"I can't wait to see the looks on the Hyenas' faces when we cross that finish line." Spencer smirked.

"You wish!"

Adonis looked behind them. He paled as the Hyenas' boat came into view. Jessica looked determined as the boat sped right up behind them. "Dude, the other team is tailing us." Adonis told Spencer.

"How?" Spencer spluttered. "They were so far behind."

"How does it feel to suck again?" Skylar smirked as Jessica swerved their boat around the Lions'.

"You tell us." Spencer glared as he sped the boat up by not much. He watched in the mirror as Dylan and Damien grabbed the flags at the same exact moment. "No way are we losing that party."

"You know, maybe we'll be nice enough to invite you if you do end up losing." Jessica laughed. "See you at the finish line."

Spencer gaped as the Hyenas' sped ahead of them. He growled and slammed his foot so hard on the gas pedal that he nearly broke it. The engine roared louder than ever before as their boat neared the Hyenas'. Skylar flipped them off, laughing as they, once again, took off.

"We're almost there!" Jessica cheered as the finish line came into few.

Skylar turned around to Dylan, who was currently holding all their flags tightly in his mouth. She whooped. "Go, Dylan!" She chirped. "Just don't let go of those flags!"

Dylan nodded and shot her a thumbs up. She looked over his shoulders, spotting the Lions getting closer. "Jessica, you might want to speed up a bit more." Skylar yelled. "They're right on our tail."

"Not for long!" Jessica grinned.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #23**

 **JESSICA: *laughs* OK, so that was probably the most fun challenge so far! I mean, the thrill was just like… well, I can't describe it! It was _awesome_! *sighs happily* I wonder if this is what Esmeralda feels when she does one of those crazy stunts. *suddenly gets serious* By the way, for all you kids, do not try any of the things you see her do at home or reenact them. She's lucky she hasn't ended up paralyzed or something.**

* * *

Spencer glared as their boat caught up with the Hyenas'. His eyes focused on them as they were neck and neck. Sweat formed on his forehead, his knuckles turning a shade of white from gripping the wheel tightly. "Yo!"

Spencer snapped out of his concentration to look at Adonis. "What?" He sighed in frustration.

"Watch where you're going!" Adonis snapped. Adonis's eyes widened. Spencer turned around, his face paling as the boat sped toward a buoy.

"Aw crap." Spencer groaned.

"Abandon ship!" Adonis yelled as he jumped out of the boat. Spencer cut Damien loose and did the same. By then, the boat had come into contact with the buoy.

~ ** _TD_** ~

The Hyenas were cheering by the docks as the Lions stood silent in gloom, dreading the end of the challenge. The Hyenas' boat was in the lead, the Lions' boat nowhere in sight. Chef grumbled under his breath as he slipped Chris a wad of cash. Chris stood next to the lifeguard chair, which Chef was sitting in while wearing a referee's uniform and holding a black-and-white checkered flag. "Looks like the Hyenas will be taking the win again." Chris commented. "Guess that makes the Lions the new Killer Bass."

"We are nothing like those old has-beens." Miranda scoffed. "That's like comparing a parfait to Chef's mush… or you to Blaineley."

"I see your point, but you do realize that losing another challenge officially makes you guys the underdogs of the season, right?" Chris said.

"I'm just saying that I don't think it's fair to put our names together with those losers." Miranda shrugged just as the Hyenas' boat crossed the line, just as the loud boom of an explosion filled their ears followed by a mushroom cloud of smoke.

Briefly afterwards, Spencer, Adonis, and Damien swam toward the docks. Spencer groaned miserably as his slowly sunk under the water. Damien had already dropped his flags into the lake. Adonis face-palmed. The rest of the Lions didn't even look surprised as they started to leave the beach while the Hyenas' cheered and gloated. "Wait- Where are you going?" Chris glared. "I'm not done here."

"We know, we'll see you at the bonfire ceremony tonight." Lauren rolled her eyes. Chris huffed.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #24**

 **CHELSEA: *smirks* While I don't exactly condone cheating in anyway, I have to admit that Miranda's attempt to prevent the Hyenas from their inevitable victory by jamming their engine was a highly-calculated move. Anyone who hasn't figured _that_ out by now must be just plain stupid, so… that would actually turn out to be majority of my team. Anyways, it's nice to know that there's someone who can actually benefit me in an alliance.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **MIRANDA: *sighs while she inspects her nails* OK, so my plan to sabotage failed. *rolls her eyes* Big whoop. I always plan ahead and I kept the Hyenas' victory in mind. Based on my calculations, I knew there was no way we could possibly win even with all the geniuses on my team… myself included. As far as eliminations go, I already had that planned out too. *scoffs* Making someone with a quick-temper look bad is as easy as it sounds, *smirks* and gaining sympathy means a vote against them.**

* * *

"He did _what_?" Damien raised an eyebrow.

Miranda sat next to Chelsea, sobbing as her mascara ran down her cheeks. They were also joined by Spencer, Jefferson, and Xavier. "I swear, I was just walking and I tripped." Miranda sniffled. "I didn't mean to push him, but then he just started yelling at me and accusing me of doing it on purpose."

"And he did _that_?" Jefferson pointed at Miranda's arm, which was covered in reddish marks that looked like hand-prints. Miranda nodded as more tears streamed down her face.

"I know I can be mean, but that's just because I _really_ want to win." Miranda whimpered.

"What about the way you treat Will?" Spencer pointed out. "That's not cool."

"I hate treating Willie the way I do, but he's got it really bad in school." Miranda began to bawl. "I only treat Willie so horribly because I'm just trying to toughen him up. He's still my big brother and I don't want to see him get bullied."

"Well, what do you want us to do then?" Xavier asked.

"I'm just saying that if he's able to snap like that all because of an accident, imagine what could happen if he did that in the middle of a challenge." Miranda whispered. "His temper could seriously affect us in the game. If you want to keep him, fine. I warned you, though."

Miranda wiped away her tears as she stood up and turned around. Smirking, Miranda walked off. The others were left to discuss their final move.

~ ** _TD_** ~

"You all cast your votes, and made your decision." Chris stated as he set down a tray of s'mores. Once again, the Lions all sat around a huge bonfire pit on the beach. "There are only twelve s'mores on this place. If I call your name, you'll receive one of these yummy treats and you'll be safe. The camper who doesn't receive a s'more must take the Walk of Shame, catch the Dauntless Dinghy, and leave the island… _Forever_. First up, Chelsea."

Chelsea leaned toward the right to avoid the s'more as it flew toward her, smirking.

"Spencer."

Spencer caught the s'more in his hand and crushed it into crumby pieces.

"Mikey."

Michael rolled his eyes as the s'more barely made it toward him.

"Jeff."

Jefferson grinned as he caught the s'more and took a bite out of it.

"Lo."

Lauren glared at Spencer as he looked at her with a smirk when she caught her s'more.

"Damien."

Damien let out a yawn as he watched Lauren try to beat up Spencer from her seat.

"Dean."

Dean blinked as Michael caught his s'more before it hit him in the head.

"Hazel."

A flaming s'more flew over Hazel's head as wrote in her notebook.

"Will."

William caught his s'more, but immediately dropped onto the ground when the treat burned his hand upon contact.

"Campers, this is the final s'more of the evening." Chris smirked as he gestured at the s'more left on the plate.

Adonis's eye widened as he looked around to see the rest of his fellow teammates with s'mores. However, he relaxed when he saw Miranda didn't get a s'more either. Her eyes were red and skin blotchy, which was totally unlike her since she was always made sure to look good on camera, as traces of mascara were still present on her face and red marks covered her arms. "Miranda, you're on the chopping block for being bossy and stuck-up." Chris stated. "And Adonis… Well, you're on the chopping block for reasons unknown. There person leaving the island tonight is…"

Miranda sniffled as Adonis stiffened. Chris's eyes kept darting back and forth as looked at them intensely. He picked up the s'more and it all became a blur. Adonis looked around for the s'more, finding it in Miranda's hands. "What?" Adonis spluttered. "You guys voted for _me_?"

"We know, we know, you're shocked." Chris rolled his eyes. "Just leave already. We don't have forever."

Adonis sighed as he turned and walked down the beach, his shoved deep into his pockets.

* * *

 **CONFESSIONALS #25**

 **ADONIS: I feel like I got played or something, but I don't hold it against them for voting me off. They probably had a good reason… whatever that may be, but I'm not going to hold grudges. I didn't last as long as I hoped, but at least I made it farther than Josh… No offense, dude, if you're watching.**

 **~ _TD_ ~**

 **MIRANDA: *smirks* It was hard letting myself be seen in that state in front of the camera, but it was all worth it. *shrugs* Adonis wasn't much of a threat, but he would _definitely_ become one later on so I just stopped that from happening. Honestly, if all it takes to get someone eliminated is pure intimidation and lying, then you might as well just give me the cash already. *laughs* I am so running this game.**

* * *

Meanwhile, the Hyenas cheered as the camp was filled with loud, upbeat music. McKayla, Skylar, Zara, Natalie, and Camilla lounged around in the bubbling hot tub while Echo sat on the porch steps of the Hyenas' cabin, looking bored out of her mind, and Esmeralda stood on top of the roof with a soda can in her hand. Terrence leaned against the hot-tub, chatting with McKayla. Meanwhile, Colton and Jessica were having a conversation while Tristan stood by the hot tub as well, cracking a few jokes. "To the Harmful Hyenas!" McKayla cheered as she raised her soda can in the air.

"To the Harmful Hyenas!" Everyone else pitched in as Dylan zoomed through on his board.

"Dylan," Jessica said, "be care-"

They all winced as they heard a loud crash.

"Wicked wipeout!" Dylan laughed.

Skylar cleared her throat. "To the Harmful Hyenas, and to never ending up in the Lions' position." She smirked.

* * *

 **And there is it! The chapter that you've waited, like, two weeks for. Miranda, once again, you just… Ugh! Major bitch XDDD**

 **I swear, I was going back and forth between ideas for the challenge. I literally kept rewriting this chapter over and over because I couldn't decide on a challenge, so I had my cousin pick one for me.**

 **I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to your expectations. I'll be honest when I say that I rushed to get this done, because I've been busy watching after my nephew (who's be with me for, like, practically a month already). Please accept my apology in the form of virtual muffin baskets XP**

 **Anyways, please let me know what you thought in the form of a review. I'm always glad to see any constructive criticism you have… Just don't post any flames. I won't be glad to see those. In fact, I might turn into a fire-breathing she-demon. If you have any concerns/issues, send me a PM or leave a post in the Q &A section in my forum. R&R!**

 **~L. Dylan~**

 **P.S. - If everyone recalled, I sent you all PMs, requesting insight on how your OC might interact with their teammates. As of now, I'd like everyone to do the opposite and briefly describe your OC's interaction with members on the other team. I kind of have an idea, but what I have in mind might not exactly be what you, the creator of your OC(s), might have in mind. You don't have to do it, I just figured it might help me a little.**


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